


Blackbird

by boasamishipper



Category: Alvoskia Series
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assassins & Hitmen, F/M, Gen, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Rescue Missions, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2018-08-31 02:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 60,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8560078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boasamishipper/pseuds/boasamishipper
Summary: Krios Karavan gets the news that the Infrans are training in preparation for the upcoming war. In retaliation, he sends a soldier to assassinate the Infrans, a child prodigy named Enna - once known as Jamie Hatten. Little do either of them know that after this mission, nothing will ever be the same again.





	1. The Revelation

Enna could feel the change in the room before it happened.

She knelt as a sign of respect, making sure to keep her head down. The last time she’d made eye contact without permission to rise had been when she was seven, and she had not desired to repeat the experience since. “Malusi,” she said reverently.

“Rise, Enna,” he answered with a kind of offended disinterest, like he was annoyed by an Alvoskian delegate who’d asked his opinion on a trade deal. She rose, hiding her curiosity beneath a blank expression. One of the first rules of being a Knight of Malus was to never let anyone see her cringe. “I have called you here today for a mission on behalf of the assassins of the Knights of Malus.”

Sometimes Enna could not help but wonder why Krios chose to begin every conversation in such a stiff way. Jezarah liked to speculate in private that in order to receive his Kelva, Krios had had to give up all of his emotions. Although she would never admit it, not even at the swordpoint of an Alvoskian, Jezarah’s theory had quite a bit of merit. “What is the mission, Malusi?”

“You are aware that the Infrans visited here recently,” Krios began, hands behind his back as he walked slowly around the room. She liked his confidence, how he could still capture everyone’s attention even while remaining idle. But yes, she did recall, and said as much. She had not been able to catch a glimpse of them—Krios had put her and Jezarah on guard duty—but knew that they had left with a bang. “They are currently staying in the palace of Queen Gemannli Alvyc, and have been training constantly in an effort to prepare for war. Do you understand so far?”

“Yes, Malusi,” she replied with a quick nod.

“Good. Now, a militia unit from the Order,” barely-disguised disgust dripped from his words, “will be sent to fight the Infrans in a week as a sort of training exercise. Your mission is to infiltrate this militia unit, get inside the castle, and take out as many of the Infrans as you can.” _Before you inevitably get taken down by them._ Sometimes it bothered her that the thought of dying in battle didn’t faze her—back in the Academy everyone had thought that she was crazy for not being scared. Just one more thing to set her apart from the masses. “Is that clear?”

“Yes, Malusi.”

“Good.” He gave her a once-over, and she stood even straighter as he looked over her hair (pulled tightly back into a braid), her outfit (starched and clean) and her shoes (polished to a shine). The scar on her neck itched and she shoved down the urge to scratch it. “If this mission is completed to my satisfaction, you will have earned your mark.”

The soft exhale that escaped her lips was all the shock she was able to show. She had been trying to earn her marks for the last three years, but she knew as well as anyone how difficult they were to earn. Jezarah had not earned hers until three years ago, when she’d taken a blow for Glothic during battle. Vita, what Enna wouldn’t give to have her mark and have her fellow Knights stop looking down on her. “Thank you, Malusi. I won’t let you down.”

Krios hummed before taking a step back from her. She took it as a sign of agreement, and her gut flooded with warmth at the thought. “You will leave at dawn. Dismissed.”

* * *

Jezarah was perched on top of the dresser in Enna’s quarters, legs swinging aimlessly and grousing about a tangle in her hair when Enna entered the room, ready to pack for her mission. “Hey, kid,” she said, removing her fingers from her hair and jumping off the dresser. “I was waiting for you. You were supposed to train with General Glothic today, remember?”

Enna looked up from where she was dragging a backpack from under the bed. “Right. I forgot.”

“Cut the shit, Enna. I know you didn’t forget.”

“Fine.” Enna didn’t know why she’d even bothered with that excuse in the first place. Jezarah had known her for years, ever since she’d gotten her Kelva. She would know better than anyone when she was lying. “You’re right, I didn’t forget. I was in a meeting with the Malusi.”

Jezarah placed a hand over her heart. “Well now, that’s a veritable excuse. I had to spar with the high and mighty Bloody Infran just to get him off your case—got a new scar to show for it too.” She pulled up the side of her shirt, revealing a new scar the size and thickness of Enna’s thumb. Enna felt a pang of guilt but forced it down, focusing on which knives she was going to pack. If she knew Jezarah well enough, the assassin probably didn’t mind the new scar. What she did mind was Enna not telling her the reason for being late. “So tell me, kid, what happened with Krios?”

She sighed, sitting down on the floor with her knife-polishing kit in hand. “He gave me a mission. I’m going to Alvoskia to take out as many of the Infrans as I can.” Saying that out loud just felt...weird, somehow. It wouldn’t be her first time killing someone, far from it, but being sent to kill the Infrans just felt too personal. It would be easier for her if she weren’t an Infran herself: the Infran of Death, to be exact. Jezarah was the only one who didn’t treat her any differently for it. Her fellow Knights always held it against her, saying that being an Infran gave her too much sympathy for the enemy. No one dared to say the same in front of Glothic. “I leave in the morning.”

“You ever been to Alvoskia before, Enna?” When Enna shook her head, Jezarah grinned and leaned forward, wiggling her fingers like she was telling a ghost story. “Well I have. More times that you can count and long before you were born. Make sure you never get yourself captured, hon. Those people are crazy, even worse than Glothic on his bad days. They’ll kill you and then rape and skin your corpse.”

She had known Jezarah long enough that these stories didn’t faze her anymore. Half of the stories that the older woman told her were fabricated, and while she might’ve believed them when she was younger and more naive, now she knew better. So she rolled her eyes. “I bet even Vita trembles before the weaklings of Alvoskia.”

Jezarah laughed, reaching over to ruffle Enna's hair. “You’re damn right, kid. I’ve seen them kill before, they’re always grinning like the cat that ate the songbird…” She clamped her hand over her mouth, but the damage had already been done.

Enna stiffened, thoughts long suppressed returning to her. Bran and his little songs and the way that he'd chirped, always so happy to see her. Vita, she wasn’t going to cry. Not in front of Jezarah.

“Sorry, Enna,” the older woman murmured. She even sounded somewhat apologetic. “Bad subject.”

“It’s fine,” she snapped. She turned away from Jezarah, throwing clothes into her duffel bag with the type of furiosity that she normally reserved for battle. She felt better cursing inwardly at her socks than at Jezarah. It wasn’t her fault. Not really. “It’s fine,” she said again, quieter this time.

Jezarah sat down beside her, both of them staring at the duffel bag. It seemed that both of them knew that Enna wouldn’t be returning from this mission. She could probably take down at least two Infrans, but she was no match for the combined fury of the Order and the rest of the Infrans. This would be the last time they’d see each other. “Hey,” Jezarah finally said, nudging her on the arm. “Kid.”

Enna bit her lip. “Yeah?”

“Make sure that if you go down, go down swinging.” The use of “if” rather than “when” surprised her more than anything. Jezarah refused to meet her eyes. “If you’re half as good of a fighter as me, then I know you’re going to give them hell.”

It took her several seconds before she was able to speak without a hitch in her voice. “Thanks.” Enna knew that that was going to be the closest Jezarah would ever get to a compassionate statement, but she took it and held it close to her.

“No problem.” After a moment, Jezarah leapt to her feet. Whatever had happened between them was clearly over now. “Don’t you go accusing me of going soft now,” she warned. Enna barely held back a smile as she got to her feet as well. “Just because you’re leaving tomorrow on a fancy mission doesn’t mean you’re excused from missing training today. Up to the arena, kid. Chop chop.”

She ducked her head to hide her smile and retrieved her knives from the ground. “I won’t go easy on you if you won’t go easy on me.”

“Trust me, hon, if I didn’t go easy on you, you’d be dead.”

Enna didn’t doubt that for a second.

* * *

She left at dawn, just as she’d been instructed. There hadn’t been much of a committee to see her off—not that she’d been expecting one, but warmth had blossomed in her gut to see that Krios Karavan and Jezarah had come to see her off. The Malusi had simply reminded her of the mission and what she was expected to do. Jezarah had given her a bag of food and gruffly said that she didn’t want her to starve because that would be a stupid way to go. Enna appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

About halfway throughout the day she decided to take a break—after all, she’d been walking for almost seven hours. Knight of Malus or not, she was exhausted. Enjoying the way that the sunlight washed over her face, she plopped down on a flat rock. While she took the time to eat one of the snacks that Jezarah had given her, she looked over the Infrans’ files that she had taken from Krios. The Malusi had neglected to provide photographs, claiming that it wasn’t necessary since they kept growing every year, but she wished he’d done otherwise. How was she supposed to know which one was the weakest now? A picture told a thousand words, after all.

She opened the first file and began to read. _William Panner, age fifteen, Infran of Water, born in Alvoskia. Parents deceased. Strong fighter. Gifted healer_ —and wasn’t that obvious given his title? It seemed that Krios wasn’t very good at keeping files of the Infrans. _Panner is immune to water but does not have good control with turning it off. Records show that he can overuse it, leaving him weak._

That was interesting. She’d never considered that the Infran of Water wouldn’t have good control when it came to turning it off—she’d always thought that summoning it would be more difficult. She doubted that they’d be training anywhere near a water source (that would be too easy for Panner), but if she was going to take down as many Infrans as she could before being killed, she would probably have to save Panner for later.

She opened the next one. _Janet Dares, age thirteen, Infran of the Moon, born in Alvoskia. Parents alive. Strong fighter. Is especially gifted with a bow and arrow. Can also create small clouds of darkness which incapacitate her opponent. Not particularly gifted in battles up close._

Enna happened to be gifted in fighting up close and saw no reason that she could not incapacitate Dares immediately. Of course, there was the issue of the dark clouds to deal with...not to mention the arrows. That might make it difficult to get up close, not to mention that the other Infrans would no doubt protect Dares. She penciled Dares down as a maybe.

 _Fiona Woods_ , read the next one. _Age sixteen, Infran of Fire, born in Kilvoskia._ Enna had heard of her: the daughter of the dragon slave traders who had run away long ago. Her parents must have been awful for Woods to flee to Alvoskia of all places. _Parents alive. Strong fighter. Uses hunting knives in battle. Extremely rare gift: can transform into a dragon. Woods’ human form can summon as much fire as needed, but it does have a limit and must be recharged. When fighting without the aid of powers, Woods is weakened. Woods’ dragon form has weak spots: attempt an attack on the leathery parts of wings, behind ears, and soft underbelly. Lethal in both forms._

If there was one thing that Jezarah had taught her, it was to never fight a battle that she could not win. If she’d been given more time to learn about her enemy then perhaps she could take down Fiona Woods, but she wasn’t about to wage war against the Infran of Fire and her dragon alternate self. Enna would save her for last.

_Georgia Howards, age thirteen, Infran of Time, born in Alvoskia. Parents deceased. Decent fighter. Reasonably skilled with a sword. Powers have been documented to not have many physical uses in battle. Weak especially in close combat. One of the weakest Infrans._

Enna almost felt sorry for Howards. What good was the Infran of Time if she couldn’t use her powers as a physical advantage in battle? It wasn’t like she could stand on the side and keep time throughout the battle, that would just be a waste. Perhaps this one could be the one she’d take out first. She was about to move onto the next one when she noticed words faintly scribbled at the end of the paragraph. Squinting, she couldn’t quite make out any words other than “boy”, and decided that it must not have been that important.

_Connor Starip, age eleven, Infran of Knowledge, born in Alvoskia. Parents deceased. Weak fighter. Reasonably skilled with a sword. Needs backup in battles in order to survive as documented in a battle against the Knights of Malus. Powers do not have any documented physical advantages in battle._

That settled it. Unless the last Infran was even weaker than Starip, then she would kill the Infran of Knowledge first. She felt a twinge in her gut at the thought of slaughtering an eleven year old but shoved it down. She couldn’t afford weaknesses now.

Enna set Starip’s file aside and hesitantly picked up the last file, opening it like she was afraid it would explode in her face. _Allison Hatten, age fourteen, Infran of Life, born in Alvoskia. Parents deceased. Skilled fighter. Especially talented with a sword. Can transform into a variety of animals (which ones in particular have not been documented). Transforming can be draining depending on what animals Hatten transforms into, how many times she uses it, or how long she stays in it. Attacking between transformations is recommended._

Fourteen. The girl was her age. Enna’s brows furrowed as she stared at Hatten’s file, unable to take in any of the words. The Infran of Life and the Infran of Death had always shared some sort of connection in every generation: perhaps in this one they were fated to be enemies. Something inside of her twisted at the thought of being Hatten’s enemy. _Maybe I’ll save her for last too._

(She couldn’t help but wonder what her own file would say. _Enna, age fourteen, Infran of Death, born in Kilvoskia. No surname. Parents deceased. Lethal fighter. Can let emotions get the best of her. Slightly cocky. Has desensitized herself to killing._ )

So it was settled then. She would kill Starip first, then Howards, and she would try her hardest to get to Dares before the remaining Infrans and the Order would kill her, but at least she was positive that she could at least get rid of two of them. She would go down in Kilvoskian history. Maybe they’d even put up a statue to her, the Infran who’d killed her own.

It would be her form of revenge against the Order, she thought. They had killed her parents, and she would kill the other Infrans. Not perfect, but it would be enough. Definitely enough.

* * *

It took her three days to arrive in Alvoskia, and another day and a half to reach the castle of Gemannli Alyvic. It was big, bigger than anything she’d ever seen, and its architecture caused Enna to stop in her tracks and stare stupidly for several seconds before she was able to get her head back on straight. She hid up in a tree for a day, watching the castle and the guard rotations and straining to hear the passwords, intensely studying every person who went in and out of the castle gates. She wanted to catch a glimpse of the Infrans training but was unsuccessful: besides, they probably trained indoors for safety purposes. Apparently one of the members of the Order had taken ill, and Clara Clinton had sent someone to come and cover for her during the exercise. (Enna had made sure to knock the new girl unconscious instead of kill her when she arrived two days before the exercise would take place.)

A day before the Order’s training exercise for the Infrans, Enna reevaluated everything she had learned. The guard rotations were made up of members of the Order, and she could sneak in during the nine o’clock rotation because the guards blocking the door would take a break for an extra fifteen minutes to smoke cigarettes. Once she got past the gates, she would have to get through the front door, which was locked from the inside. As a joke, she debated creating a gigantic statue of Queen Gem, hiding inside, and sneaking in that way like in the old war stories she’d grown up hearing in the Academy. But that would be too obvious—even the Alvoskians would see right through that. Her only option was to hide in plain sight.

And so she did. The evening before the Infrans were supposed to do their training exercise, she tied her hair up into a high ponytail, put her weariest expression, hitched her duffel bag over her shoulders and marched straight up to the gate. The two guards during the nine o’clock shift were conspicuously absent—probably on their cigarette breaks—but she still politely waited at the gates for them to get back. When they did, she smiled at them. “Hello. I was sent here by the Order to assist the Infrans with their training exercise.”

Guard 1 turned to Guard 2, who nodded. When he spoke, she fought not to wrinkle her nose at the smell of nicotine. “Name, please?”

Luckily, Enna was prepared for this. She took out the girl’s Order identification tag, which she’d doctored up. She had cut out the girl’s picture and replaced it with her own, as well as changed several bits of information on the tag. With Vita’s grace it would pass inspection. “Althea Cornis,” she said, flashing them the tag before sticking it in her pocket. “May I?”

The guards let her go by. When she got to the doors, she barely had a chance to marvel at her good luck before she was allowed access into the castle. Before she could take a chance to look around, to orient herself a little, she was taken downstairs by another guard (whose name tag read Rose) to where the members of the Order were staying. “It’s not much, just a quaint little area,” Rose said as she led Enna further downstairs. “You’ll be sparring with the Infrans tomorrow morning, so I hope you’re ready for that. From what I’ve seen, they’re excellent fighters.”

The only ones downstairs were three Order members hanging out in a small living room, playing cards with one another and eating and laughing, but they abruptly stopped when they saw Rose and Enna. “Who’re you?” asked one of them, a handful of chips halfway to his mouth. The other two Order members whispered to one another.

Enna stepped forward, hand outstretched. “I’m Thea.” A nickname was a safer plan if one of them actually knew Althea Cornis. “I was sent by the Order to assist in the training session against the Infrans tomorrow.”

“Nice to meet you, Thea,” the first one answered, shaking her hand with one quick pump. “I’m Joss. These two gossipers over here are Therese and Inara. We’re helping out in the training session tomorrow too. Well, not just us. The others helping out went to bed early.”

“They’re afraid of getting their asses handed to them,” Inara muttered, taking another chip from the bowl on the table and leaning backwards on the couch. “Not that I can blame them. Those kids are good, better than me and I don’t mind saying so.”

“I have a feeling we can even out the score,” Enna replied with a small smile, and Therese and Joss snickered. Rose disappeared back up the stairs. “Any chance you could direct me to where I’m sleeping? I’ve been walking almost nonstop.” That wasn’t a lie. Even though she’d been hiding in a tree for two days, her legs still ached from the four day walk from Kilvoskia to Alvoskia.

Joss nodded and stood up, stuffing a last handful of chips into his mouth before gesturing for Enna to follow him. He led her down a short hallway and pointed to the bedroom on the left. “All yours,” he said with a grand wave. “One bed, one dresser, etcetera. Nothing quite as fancy as the rooms back home, but they’ll do.”

Inwardly, she couldn’t help but be amazed at the size of the bedroom, which was at least twice the size of her quarters back home. On the outside she nodded politely at Joss and said she would see him tomorrow before she stepped inside, closing the door behind her.

Enna dropped her duffel bag on the floor and collapsed on her bed, glad beyond belief that she was going to sleep on something that wasn’t a tree branch or wet grass. _I can’t believe that actually worked._ She didn’t dare voice her thoughts in case someone from the Order or one of the Infrans had bugged her room. _Remember: Starip first, then Howards, then Dares if you can. Don’t go for Panner, Woods or Hatten unless you’re sure you can take them out._

Last night, she had stayed up late thinking about whether or not she should write a will. She didn’t have much, but whatever she had she wanted to give to Jezarah. That was under the assumption that the remaining Infrans wouldn’t torch her belongings the second they murdered her. She had changed her mind, though. Jezarah wouldn’t want pithy last words or a worn set of knives. She would want vengeance.

Before falling asleep, Enna reassured herself with the thought that at least Jezarah would avenge her when she died tomorrow.

* * *

The Infrans’ training center was about the same size as the training center for the Knights of Malus, perhaps even a bit bigger. Double grand staircases led up to a small balcony and racks of weapons lined the walls on either side of the entrance. A giant glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, although its illusion of decor was shattered by the layers of cobwebs and dust.

Enna and at least thirty other members of the Order stood in a neat formation behind a short woman named Hui, who was the only one in the room who looked a tad bit serene. She had been forced to wear dark gray armor with a blue wolf paw on her chest and a white letter I set over it. Her hair was tucked into a helmet that covered her face. Her weapons were hidden at her sides or in her sleeves.

The Infrans stood in front of her, fidgeting slightly in their silver armor. She knew that in order to dispel the armor she had to remove the rings they were wearing, which was probably going to be easy. All she had to do was knock them unconscious.

“Your task today,” said a man whose name Enna did not know, “is to face them as a team. You can use all of your powers,” Enna cursed inwardly, “in order to make his as lifelike as possible. However, you are not allowed to severely injure any of the soldiers, just as they will not do the same to you. If you are overwhelmed or injured and need a medic, stop moving and you will be assisted immediately.”

 _That’s not very lifelike at all,_ Enna thought with a scoff. _If you’re injured in battle then you have to keep going. You can’t yell for a medic and opt out._

“Do we get time to plan our strategy?” asked one of the girls.

Hui and the other man dispersed the line of instructors, all of them lining up along one wall and out of the way of the battle. Enna appreciated that—the last thing she needed was for the adults to get mixed up in the ensuing brawl. “I think it would be best to force you to think on your feet,” Hui said sweetly, giving the Infrans a smile. “And please don’t get blood on the tiles.”

The Infrans all drew their weapons. Enna could pick a few of them out just by which weapons they had summoned: Woods had two long hunting knives in each hand, and Dares loosely notched a blunted arrow in her bow and kept it pointed at the floor.

Another man nodded at the Order’s soldiers, and Enna automatically straightened, going for the sword sheathed at her side and the daggers hidden in her sleeves. “On my count. One, two, three!”

They charged, Enna immediately moving into the thick of battle. She ducked under blows of fists and blades like it was second nature, immensely enjoying the hot rush of adrenaline flooding her veins. She parried against one of the Infrans for a brief moment before Dares shot an arrow at her—apparently the Infran was Panner, judging by the shout of “BILL!” in his direction. The Infran in the middle was wildly fighting off anyone who came close to her, even ramming her fist into an offending soldier’s face and knocking them backwards into another soldier. (Inwardly, she hoped it wasn’t Joss or Inara or Therese—she’d only known them for less than a few hours but she didn’t want them to get hurt today.)

“Janet, Flames, I could use some help!” shouted the Infran in the middle. Enna couldn’t focus on what she had told them to do next, as she engaged herself in a battle with another smaller Infran that she _thought_ might have been Howards. Either way, they managed to slip away from her and she assisted Joss in fighting against Panner.

“You got it, Als!” Dares and the other girl (Woods, most likely) moved as one, whirling around and rotating so that Dares faced where the girl (Als—Allison—the Infran of Life) was surrounded by soldiers. Dares began to fire arrows at a rapid speed, each one hitting the helmet of a soldier. They crumpled like rag dolls, and Joss shouted as Therese fell and moved to challenge Dares himself. Enna was about to move after them when she remembered her mission. _Starip, then Howards, then Dares._ Where were Starip and Howards?

She could see Panner bringing water out of the small reservoirs near the pillars etched into the walls, turning the floor to ice and blasting soldiers with water. Woods was gathering smoke in her mouth and blasting it at the soldiers, causing Inara to fall to the floor. Enna managed to move out of the way just in time.

There was a groan and shriek from above and Enna managed to leap out of the way just as the glass chandelier plummeted downwards and exploded over the floor, shattering glass everywhere. Hatten and Woods and Panner had gotten out of the way as well, their armor protecting them from the shards of glass. At least fifteen soldiers had not gotten out of the way, including Joss, who was groaning under the glass.

Enna ducked under Dares’ line of fire and feinted with her dagger before elbowing the Infran in the face, causing her to fall down and hit the floor with a thud. Panner rushed to Dares’ side. Inara and Therese fought side by side against Hatten and Woods and another smaller Infran—that had to be Howards, it had to! That meant that Starip was around here somewhere too.

Panner kept switching the floor from ice to water, and it was only Enna’s ability to glide in her combat boots on the ice that kept her from tripping and making a fool out of her side. She took a swipe at his hand, the very tip coming away bloody.

Enna couldn’t help but watch in shock as Hatten was thrown to the floor by an Order member and then got up, growling like a wild animal. Her teeth shifted in her mouth, rearranging themselves to those of a canine’s. Enna swore to herself as a golden lion with blazing blue eyes took the place of Hatten and lunged at the soldier, claws leaving dents in their metal armor and knocking them flat on their back. Vita, what Enna wouldn’t give for an ability like that in battle. She settled instead for knocking the sword out of Howards’ hand—easier for her to identify who was who, anyway—got a glimpse of Hatten helping her out and raced for the last Infran, challenging him to battle.

Enna viciously swiped at Starip’s side with her sword and he barely managed to get out of her way in time. Looking at his startled expression, she couldn't help but to pity him for a brief moment. How in the world had he trained before now? Did the Order always go easy on him because of his powers not providing any physical advantages in battle? That hadn't been how she'd been taught—Krios and General Glothic and Jezarah would often push her to her limits and beyond. She'd seen many of her compatriots die in battle practice because they'd been too slow. She had always been taught that in real battles there would be no one to hold her hand. Apparently Starip hadn't gotten the message.  
  
Well, this would be reason to fulfill her mission for the Malusi, anyway.  
  
Her sword clanged against his as she slowly but steadily pushed the Infran of Knowledge into a corner. She could smell the acrid scent of sweat (and for some reason ink) from where she stood. He looked terrified and even began trying to reason with her to get her to stop. Typical of an Alvoskian. "Hey! You don't have to—hey!"  
  
She shoved the boy onto the ground, knocking the breath out of him as she did so. He was winded enough that his grip on his sword faltered for a brief moment and she was able to kick it away from him. Her blood pounded in her ears, so much so that she couldn't hear the instructors and other Infrans shouting for her to stop, saying that she'd made her point. Far from it. She hadn't made her point quite yet.  
  
She feinted with her sword and when Starip came to grab it by the hilt she managed to steal the silver ring off his finger. The cut on her hand stung but it was worth it to see the silvery armor fade away from the boy's body, leaving him completely vulnerable.  
  
One of the girls screamed as she hefted her sword high. Enna closed her eyes, unwilling to see the life leave his shaking body, and brought the sword down.

But the sword never landed.

She opened her eyes, meeting Starip’s terrified ones, and found that neither of them could move. Her sword was an inch from his throat. A bead of sweat was frozen on his forehead. It was almost as though they were stuck in a vat of molasses and honey. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Howards with her hands out in front of her like she was stuck midway through a fall. Her eyes were narrowed in concentration: she was keeping the time around Enna and Starip from moving.

“Georgie,” Dares whispered, “how're you doing that?”

Howards didn't reply. Either she hadn't heard or didn't have the strength to do so.

“What in the world were you thinking, soldier?” Hui snapped, looking angered beyond comprehension as she stalked closer to her. In the corner she saw Joss and Therese staring at her with fear in their eyes. That hurt a little, but she buried it deep inside. “Are you even from the Order?”

Enna would have rolled her eyes if she weren't so frightened. She hadn't wanted to die like this, frozen and helpless with the energy draining out of her. She'd wanted to go down fighting.

The only thing stopping her from retaliating against the people approaching her was the fact that Howards (she was going to _kill_ whoever made the file that said the girl’s powers didn’t have physical advantages in battle) was still managing to slow down time around her. Enna remained frozen, a snarl on her lips and her sword still held an inch from Starip’s throat as the Infran of Life wrenched off Enna’s helmet.

Hatten dropped the helmet on the floor. Enna didn't know why in the world she'd done that until Hatten shakily removed her ring, causing the armor and helmet to disappear. Causing her face to become visible.

Her jaw would have dropped to her knees had Howards not been holding her still. The look of shock on Hatten’s face was indescribable, almost as if she’d been clocked in the face with something heavy. Enna knew the expression because she saw it every time she looked into the mirror after battle. Hatten had her face: the same wide eyes (albeit a different color), the same lips that were in an “o” shape, the same cheekbones, even the same birthmark near her left ear. They looked exactly the same.

Woods swore, and Panner took a step backwards in surprise. “Vita, Ally, she looks just like you.”

“I know,” Hatten murmured. She sounded rather shell-shocked. “I know.”

Howards’ grip on Enna and Starip finally faltered, causing her to fall backwards and land on the floor with a thud. Hui dragged Starip out of the way and snapped for someone to take him to a medic. Howards collapsed as well, right into one of the instructors’ arms. Before Enna could even think about fighting, she had four swords and a bow and arrow pointed directly at her throat.

“What the hell is going on?” Hatten’s voice shook. This had clearly been a serious shock for the girl. Enna fought not to let her panic show. Why did they look alike? What was going on? “Who are you?”

Enna refused to speak for fear of incriminating herself further. As the Infrans exchanged looks over at each other, she realized that maybe if she said something now they might not let her die as painful of a death. “My name is Enna,” she finally whispered. She let her eyes wander, checking for escape routes. “I am a soldier of the Knights of Malus.”

Woods swore again. Panner and Dares exchanged a look of weary surprise. Starip was shaking so badly in the medic’s grip that Enna could see the medic vibrating from where she stood. Hatten still looked ready to faint like Howards had at any moment.

“Emergency measures,” said the man from earlier, and Hui nodded. “Children…”

“How can you call us that when Connor was almost killed by—by _her_ , Aquil?” Woods snapped at the man, who actually cringed and stepped backwards. Enna did not move, simply lowered her head so she would not have to look at any of them. Every time her eyes met Hatten’s her heart skipped a beat.

“Infrans,” Hui said urgently. “Get to the bunker. The castle is going on lockdown until this matter is resolved.” There was a pause, in which Enna was sure that a dirty look was being sent her way, and then she continued. “We need to know how this imposter infiltrated our ranks.”

“Why don’t you just ask her?” Hatten asked. Enna looked up to meet the girl’s eyes and immediately looked away again. Vita, this was so creepy, like something straight out of a horror novel. “Well? How did you get in?”

Enna smirked. “Your security is awful,” she said, and she could almost hear Jezarah laughing in the distance at her spunk. “I walked right through the gates. No one would suspect a child.”

“Are there more of you?” Panner asked, nervously looking over at the other Infrans like they were going to also confess to being a member of the Knights of Malus. Dares took his hand. Oh. They were a couple. That was interesting. Maybe she should have gone for Dares or Panner first after all.

“No,” Enna answered. “I came alone.”

Hui and Aquil exchanged a quick glance with each other. “Kill her,” Hui finally said. Aquil raised his sword to Enna’s throat, and Enna squeezed her eyes tight, praying to Vita that maybe it wouldn’t hurt, that would be her saving grace.

“Wait!” The sword stopped midway through a swing. Enna’s eyes popped open and she released a strangled breath of relief. She was still alive. She wasn’t dead. “Wait,” Hatten repeated. She held her hands out in a gesture of surrender. “Don’t...don’t kill her.”

“What?” Woods looked as though she’d been backhanded across the face. “What are you talking about, Ally? That girl tried to murder Connor! She would have murdered all of us if we hadn’t stopped her.”

“I know, Flames, I know, but—come on. She looks exactly like me; you can’t tell me that you’re not the least bit curious about where she came from? Or why she looks like me?” She turned to Hui and Aquil, who still had the sword pointed at Enna’s throat. “Hui, Aquil, we cannot kill her. Even—even if she didn’t look like me, if we killed a Kilvoskian soldier on Alvoskian soil it would jump-start the war.” She exhaled sharply. “We can’t afford to start the war now. We can’t kill her.”

Aquil sighed. “Fine.” To Joss and Therese, he snapped, “Take her to the dungeons.” To Enna, whose rush of adrenaline had left her shaking, he added, “We will be by to question you later. As for the rest of the Infrans, get to the bunker.”

Joss and Therese grabbed Enna by the arms and hoisted her to her feet. Their grips were tight, fingernails digging into her skin like they were afraid she was going to run away from them or kill them. She just managed to get a quick glimpse of Hatten and the Infrans being shunted sideways toward a bunker before she was led out of the room.

* * *

That night, Ally couldn't sleep.

She wasn't the only one, of course. Connor was still shaking so badly that the medics had had to give him a sedative, and he flinched whenever Ally came near him (and although she understood his reasons, she was still hurt). Bill and Janet kept holding hands and stealing looks at each other like they were afraid the other would vanish. Flames and George sat beside Connor, trying to coax him out of his shell. Sleep was probably the farthest thing on anyone’s mind right now.

That girl, the Knight of Malus, haunted Ally’s thoughts. Why did she look like her? It wasn’t just the hair or the skin color, it was as if someone had cloned her but had given her green eyes instead of blue. Were all of the Knights of Malus clones, perhaps? Was that boy from the Tygani River a clone as well?

“I still can’t believe she looked like you, Ally,” George whispered after about ten minutes of silence.

Ally sighed, drawing her knees up to her chest. “Me either,” she admitted. “I...I wish I knew what was going on. Why she looks like me.”

“I want to know why someone from the Knights of Malus was here and tried to kill Connor,” Flames muttered under her breath, putting an arm around the younger boy. Then she looked up over at Ally. “I don’t think that you did the right thing, Ally. I wouldn’t have stopped Aquil and Hui from killing her.”

“Not even if she mysteriously looked just like you?” Bill asked, raising his eyebrows. Flames huffed, a tiny puff of smoke escaping her nostrils. She couldn’t argue against that. It would have been too much like watching herself get killed. “I think Ally’s right. We should at least know a little more about her—about her history—before we decide what to do with her.”

When morning came, they were greeted with the news that the castle had been searched and after some deliberation, had been declared safe. Extra security measures would be put into place. Guards would escort them everywhere—and they would have to be loyal knights of the Order, handpicked by Clara Clinton and Queen Gem. Even with that, they would have to bring their weapons with them everywhere.

“We wrote a letter to the Kilvoskian Gora that we have captured one of their knights,” Hui informed them over breakfast. No one had much of an appetite. “Queen Gem is coming back with King Venificus and Clara Clinton to decide what we will do with the girl.”

Ally hadn’t seen the queen in months, not since she had left on a journey that the members of the Order refused to tell her about. She hoped Queen Gem would bring them good news about Rynn, but she highly doubted it. She just wished there was a way for them to feel if Rynn was alive. That would have been enough. “When will she be here?”

“Soon enough,” Aquil said. His eyes were on the cup of coffee before him. “In the meantime, we have decided to give you the day off today in order to recover from this ordeal.”

Ally’s grip on the table tightened. It would take more than one day for Connor to recover from his ordeal. None of them had ever come so close to being murdered before.

“Thank you,” Janet finally said, speaking up for all of them. “We appreciate that.”

“Have you had a chance to talk to Enna?” The words escaped Ally’s lips before she even knew she had spoken. Hui and Aquil and Carson stared at her. “The knight. Have you gotten a chance to speak with her?”

“She's currently in the dungeons,” Carson answered. “We haven't spoken to her yet.” He paused, almost apologetically. “There's been a lot going on.”

“Has—has she been fed?” Her questions were just getting stupider and stupider. She could practically feel the Infrans looking at her in shock.

“Yes, she's been fed.” Hui sounded like she was on her last vestiges of patience. Ally couldn't tell whether her tone was sincere or not. “Any other questions, Miss Hatten?

She looked down at her plate, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “No,” she said. “That's all.”

The conversation continued from there, Janet and Bill doing their best to keep it light. Connor didn't speak—he hadn't since yesterday and no one expected him to. But she tuned out the sounds of her friends’ voices, thinking that in any case, she'd have to go and see the girl so she could get some answers.

* * *

Enna hunched in the corner of the cell with her knees drawn up to her chest, shivering slightly underneath the ice-tinged armor that the Order hadn't bothered to make her take off. The walls of her cell were a dark gray and the door was made from a titanium alloy that wouldn't break down no matter how many times she had tried. The floor was just as freezing as the walls, and although there was a window up near the ceiling, the amount of sunlight peeking through wasn't enough to warm up the room.

She wished that she had had the foresight to wear a sweater. And food. There had been no one to see her in nearly two days, during which she'd had to resort to biting her fingernails for some sustenance.

She couldn't help but wonder if perhaps Jezarah’s stories about what Alvoskians did to those they captured were true. They'd already confiscated her dagger and other weapons. Would they starve her to death before raping and skinning her corpse? Vita, why couldn't she have just died in battle? A sword to the back was a much easier and far more noble death than this.

The door opened cautiously, and Enna did her best to scramble to her feet, knees shaking from the weakness of her body. She almost collapsed from shock when she saw the Infran of Life framed in the doorway with a bag tucked away under her arm.

“Hi,” she said rather awkwardly. “Uh, can I come in?” Like she hadn't already barged in. “I…” She took out the bag and opened it, and when Enna caught the scent of fresh bread she couldn't stop her stomach from growling. “I didn't—Hui said that they had fed you but I wasn't sure, so…I brought you some food.”

“Thank you.” Her voice was hoarse but despite the caustic tone she really did mean it. It was the first kind thing that anyone in Alvoskia had ever done for her.

Hatten approached her slowly, like she was afraid Enna would pounce, and handed her the bag. It took all of her willpower to not tear it open on the spot; instead, she opened it carefully, ripped off a piece of bread with a shaking hand and took a big bite. Oh Vita, there wasn't anything better than that. Within moments, she had finished the piece. After she downed half a bottle of water, she moved on to the next item in the bag, an apple.

Enna stopped in the middle of eating the fruit when Hatten’s gaze became too much to bear. “What?” she snapped.

Hatten startled. “Nothing! I just—you don't eat the apple core.”

Now she was making fun of the way Enna ate? What was with this girl? “Is that a problem?”

“No, it's not. All I meant to say was that…that I don't eat it either.”

“Oh.” Well, that was great. Now she couldn't even eat without being reminded of Hatten. Enna couldn't help but wonder again what in the world was going on. Why did they look and act alike? She finished her apple slowly. The core rested in the palm of her hand, glaring up at her like it was daring her to eat the seeds. Finally, unable to keep silent any longer, she looked back over at Hatten. Making sure to keep her tone unreadable, she asked, “Why did you spare me?”

“Because it was the right thing to do,” Hatten answered. Enna raised an eyebrow and the girl relented. “And I was curious about you.”

Enna couldn't help but laugh. Jezarah was right—the Alvoskians were crazy. “I nearly killed the Infran of Knowledge and you kept me alive because of a whim?” Hatten’s jaw tightened, and Enna continued. “I wouldn't have done the same thing if I was in your shoes.”

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “You've never given anyone the benefit of the doubt before?”

“Giving people the benefit of the doubt in battle is a sure way to end your day with a sword in your gut.” It had been one of the first things she'd learned from Krios in the Academy. She had never given anyone the benefit of the doubt in battle, yet here Hatten was tossing out second chances like she had no regard for her safety.

Hatten sighed. “Okay,” she muttered and turned her back to Enna, walking slowly to the door. Enna had a feeling that this would be the last time they'd see each other for a while—the Order would want to question her eventually. Hatten would probably never tell the other Infrans about her visit.

“Why do you care so much?” The words escaped her lips before she could stop them, and Hatten whirled around. She looked excited that Enna had spoken, for some ungodly reason. “About Starip, I mean.”

"He's our friend," she automatically answered. Like it was as obvious of an answer as the color of the sky. "Don't you have anyone that you care about like that?"  
  
Enna's mind went to Jezarah almost out of reflex. Jezarah was the closest thing to a friend she had, although she was somewhat hesitant to put that label on their relationship. "He's a weak soldier," she said, dodging Hatten's question. She wasn't exactly going to spill her guts to the girl after knowing her for less than two days. "And caring for him won't do you any good on the battlefield."  
  
Hatten looked away, brows furrowing in sadness. Not pity, thank Vita. Just sadness. It reminded Enna of herself all over again. "Sometimes," she finally said, "there's more to life than war."

She couldn't think of a reply to that. More to life than war? What was that supposed to mean? War was what she had been training for for her entire life. And that had been plenty fulfilling. She'd enjoyed herself from time to time. But what would happen once a war ended? What would she do with herself?

By the time she looked up again, Hatten was gone.

* * *

Three members of the Order escorted her out of the dungeons that evening. Joss, Inara and Therese were not among them, and Enna didn't blame them. If she were in their shoes, she wouldn't have wanted to be around someone like her either.

One of the men kept sneaking looks at her when he thought she wasn't looking. He was a young man, most likely in his twenties. Brown skin. Dark eyes with laugh lines around them. Pink lips in a thin line. Weary expression. “What are you staring at?” she finally snapped, unable to deal with his gaze any longer.

He flinched, almost as if he expected to be attacked. Military bearing. Interesting. “I'm sorry. I couldn't help but notice that you—you look so much like the Infran of Life.”

Her jaw tightened. “So I've been told,” she answered through gritted teeth.

The man did not speak to her again.

They finally arrived at their destination after traveling up two flights of stairs. The guards escorted her into a large, spacious room that Enna barely had a chance to look around in before noticing the woman sitting in the chair at the head of the table: Queen Gemmanli Alyvic.

She was just as Enna had seen her in the history books. Short blonde hair streaked with gray, light brown eyes, wrinkled skin and a silver crown sitting atop her head. She radiated kindness as well as power. Her presence commanded respect, and Enna would have curtsied had her military training and inbred hatred against the Alvoskians not stopped her.

Sitting on the queen’s right was a woman that Enna had trained herself to recognize ever since Krios and General Glothic had told her how her parents had died: Clara Clinton, head of the Order of Infrans. She was taller than Enna had thought she’d be, with sharp cheekbones and even sharper brown eyes just a shade lighter than her skin. Her thick, dark hair was swept up into a neat bun and her clothing was neat and clean, accentuated by a dark purple cloak with a silver I embroidered into it. Enna almost felt guilty for not having run a hand through her hair prior to entering the room.

“Please sit,” the queen said. Her voice was a warm, luminous melody, but behind it was an order. Enna sat in the nearest chair, keeping her head up high. “What is your name?”

“Enna, Your Majesty.”

“Enna,” she repeated, almost as if she was tasting the name on her tongue. “No last name?”

“No, Your Majesty.” Enna pressed her lips together. “I was never…we don’t need last names in the Knights of Malus.”

“So you are a member of the Knights of Malus,” Clara Clinton said, speaking up for the first time. Enna did her best to conceal her scowl at the woman’s voice. “Why were you sent here? Who were you sent by?”

She debated lying for a split second, but she doubted that it would help her in the long run. Besides, the Infrans had all witnessed her trying to kill Starip. She might as well just tell the truth and be done with it. “I was sent here by Krios Karavan. He gave me an order to take down as many of the Infrans as I could before I would inevitably be taken down.”

“How did you choose which ones to take down? Why were you chosen? Have you ever encountered the Infrans before?”

Enna’s mind swirled, unsure of which question to answer first. “Krios Karavan gave me files of the Infrans, which I studied on my way to Alvoskia. Based on the descriptions of the Infrans and their fighting abilities I reasoned that I could take down the Infrans of Knowledge, Time and the Moon, respectively, before getting taken down by those remaining.” She paused. “I didn't expect to be taken down by Howards.”

“Why?” Clara Clinton actually sounded curious.

“The file stated that Howards’ powers didn't present a physical advantage in battle.”

Clara Clinton mumbled something under her breath to the queen, who wrote it down and gestured for Enna to keep speaking.

“I…I was chosen by Krios because—because I'm one of the better assassins in the Knights of Malus.” She felt a bit of pride welling up in her gut as she spoke. “He believed I could get the job done.” Then doubt began to blossom. What if he hadn't believed that? What if he had sent her here to die? But no, that didn't make sense. Why would he send his weapon here if only to die? Why would he have raised her like a pig for slaughter? “And no, I have never met the Infrans before that day.”

There was a ringing silence. The man who'd spoken to Enna earlier cleared his throat, bringing the immobile queen and Clara Clinton back to their senses. “Enna,” said Clara Clinton. “Have you any parents?”

“No.” _Which I think you know very well, Clara Clinton, as your damned Order were the ones that murdered them in front of me, leaving me alone in the world for days until Krios rescued me from the ruins, until Jezarah began to train me—_ “They died when I was a baby.”

“Any siblings?”

 _Not unless they were murdered by you and your Order too, Clara Clinton_. “None.” When she was younger, she couldn't help but wish for siblings. The kids in the Academy had described siblings as friends with blood relation, and she'd longed for one. Instead she'd gotten more training and eventually Jezarah, so it ended up working out.

The queen’s eyes were sad. Enna ducked her head to get away from them.

“—written a letter to the Gora to inform him that we have taken one of the Knights of Malus prisoner,” Clara Clinton was saying. Enna made an effort to tune back in. “Perhaps he would be willing to do an…exchange, of sorts.”

An exchange of what? Goods? Was that all she was, then—just something to trade? “I doubt it,” she said under her breath.

Clara Clinton’s eyes narrowed, but the woman didn't ask Enna to repeat herself. Thank Vita.

“Enna,” the queen said, eyes boring holes into Enna’s skull, “is there anything you would like to tell us? Or ask us?”

 _Why did you kill my parents? Why was I never told that the Infran of Life bears a strong resemblance to me? What's going to happen to me? What's Krios going to tell Jezarah when you get bored of me and kill me?_ “No, Your Majesty.”

“Alright,” said the queen. “Thank you, Enna.” Like she had taken time out of her busy schedule to meet with them or something. “Joseph, please take her back downstairs.”

Joseph—the man who’d spoken earlier—stood at attention at once. So she’d been correct about the military bearing earlier. “Yes, Your Majesty,” he said, inclining his head slightly. “Enna, come with me.”

While she was being led back downstairs by the guards, Joseph fell into step beside her. “So it’s true, then, what they’re saying,” he said quietly, clearly not wanting the other members of the Order to hear them speaking. “You tried to kill Connor.”

Enna nodded, a single, sharp motion. “Yes.” It came out softer than she’d expected it to. She supposed that meeting with the queen and the head of the Order of Infrans did a number on her nerves. “What other rumors can I clear up for you?”

Either he hadn’t registered her sarcasm or had and decided not to react. “I...I was just wondering…” He paused, and it occurred to her that perhaps he was frightened. Frightened to ask her a question. Was she really that terrifying? “You—you’re from Kilvoskia. Have you—when you were in Kilvoskia, did you ever hear news of a woman named Rynn?”

The name rang a bell but she didn’t know any specific information about the girl or her whereabouts, and she told him so. “Sorry,” she said, and she meant it. Whoever this Rynn girl was, if Joseph was asking for information about her then she had to have been kidnapped or taken prisoner with no chance of escaping. “If I knew something, I’d have told Queen Gem or Clara Clinton in an effort to ease my sentence here.”

Joseph smiled at her, but it didn’t reach his eyes. In fact, it looked more like a pained grimace. “S’fine,” he finally said when they approached Enna’s cell. The guard at the front of their little group held the keyring, and Enna did her best to conceal her shivering. The last thing she needed now was for them to see her cringe. “I'll find her eventually.”

“Good luck,” she called after him, the door shutting behind her just as the words left her lips. She hoped that he would find who he was looking for. At least then someone in this castle would be happy.

Suddenly exhausted, Enna curled up into the corner. Using the empty food bag Hatten had given her earlier as a pillow, she fell asleep the way she had killed Bran: slowly, and then all at once.

* * *

Ally snuck down the hallway, away from the dining hall where the others were enjoying a midnight snack. (Connor had finally started speaking again, although he wasn't very keen on Ally’s idea to keep Enna alive until further notice from the queen and Clara Clinton.) She had left with the intention of getting a blanket from her room and returning downstairs, but once she had remembered that Queen Gem and Clara were supposed to be interrogating Enna that night, she decided to eavesdrop.

By the time she had searched every room on the upper floor, she was giving up hope of ever finding the meeting. Just as she was about to turn around and go back, she heard voices coming from the room hidden behind an oak door. Familiar voices. This had to be the room where it was happening.

Ally immediately pressed her ear against the door, heart pounding in excitement as she strained to make out the conversation happening behind closed doors.

“—isn't in the state to handle this, Your Majesty, she's just getting over Dearborn—”

“You know just as well as I do that things are hardly fair, and that we are working on very little time.” Queen Gem’s voice was firm and maddeningly patient. Ally leaned closer against the door so she could hear better. She couldn't quite make out what Clara replied, so she transformed her ears into those of a dog. Suddenly, it was like Queen Gem and Clara were arguing right beside her. “I’m sure she already suspects. And even if she doesn't suspect, what would you have me do? Keep them apart forever?”

“Excuse my language, Your Majesty, but you know damn well that the minute Ally knows the truth about Enna she's going to start fighting for her. You give her an inch and she’ll run a mile. And Vita only knows if the girl can even be trusted—what if she was sent here on purpose as a spy?"

“It's a chance that we must take, Clara. There's no point in keeping them apart.”

There was a very pregnant pause, then, "Fine. But _you're_ the one who tells Ally you lied to her."

Her breath caught in her chest and scraped up her lungs. Queen Gem had lied to her? They hadn't seen each other in months, not since the Infrans’ return to the castle, and the queen was admitting to having lied? What in Vita’s name did Clara mean? And what did Enna have to do with anything?

“Yes,” Queen Gem murmured. “Unfortunately, that is a burden I will have to bear.”

Ally stepped back from the door, mind reeling. She couldn't listen to this any longer. So many things had happened in the last two days, too many for her to process all at once. What with Enna appearing out of nowhere and Connor almost dying and the queen having lied to her and Clara Clinton having known about it—Vita, she needed some answers and she needed them soon.

* * *

That afternoon, a new set of guards showed up to escort Enna back to the queen’s conference room. The man from earlier—Joseph, if she was remembering correctly—was among them, and he looked like he hadn't slept in a week. _Probably thinking of that Rynn girl_ , Enna thought with a small dose of pity. _Vita, he must really like her._ She didn't exactly look like a picture of health herself: she'd finished the food Hatten had given her but she was still hungry now, her hair hadn't been washed in several days, and she had started to wrinkle her nose at her body odor.

When she finally arrived at the queen’s chambers, she was somewhat unsurprised to see that the Infrans were already there, along with several members of the Order, Clara Clinton, and an old king that she didn't recognize. The Infran of Knowledge took one look at her and then immediately glanced over at Hatten, as if he was trying to reassure himself that he wasn't going to get killed. Like she was going to try to complete her mission now. Idiot.

“Enna,” said the queen, rising from her chair at the head of the table. “Thank you for coming.”

Like she'd taken time out of her busy schedule to come here. What was with these people and their excessive politeness? She ducked her head at the queen. “It wasn't a problem, Your Majesty,” she said.

Hatten stood up, causing the other Infrans to shift in their chairs and stare at her. Howards whispered something to Starip, who released a tiny smile. “Queen Gem,” she said. “It's—it's really good to see you again, and clearly you've already met Enna,” hearing her name out of Hatten’s mouth was just plain creepy, “but I was wondering—do you know anything about why…why we look alike?”

Enna couldn't help but admire the girl. It was a good plan to ask in front of everyone: no secrets between each other and the queen couldn't wave it off or lie without being accused of being unfair or secretive. At least one of the Infrans wasn't a shrinking violet.

Clara Clinton exchanged a _look_ with the queen, who sighed like the fate of the world rested personally on her shoulders. Which, Enna supposed, it kind of did. “Ally,” Queen Gem finally said. “Please tell me what you know of the night that your parents died.”

“My—” Hatten looked hesitantly over at Enna, whose heart was pounding in her chest loud enough for them to hear. “I…Glothic killed them. First my father, then my mother. He cut them down.” She swallowed. “And I was sent to the Wolftails.”

Four thousand volts of electricity couldn't have shocked her more than that statement. Glothic had killed the Infran of Life’s parents? Why hadn't she ever been told that? Krios had never told her that. Glothic was the head general of the Knights of Malus, of course, but she couldn't stomach the thought of an Infran killing another Infran’s parents. That was too much.

“All of that is true,” said Queen Gem. “Except one detail.” Hatten looked up. Enna’s hands shook. The others looked as though they'd been turned to stone. “On the night that you were sent to live with the Wolftails, we had a team from the Order come and scavenge the ruins of your home. To look for survivors.”

Hatten nodded. Enna couldn't speak.

“We were…not just looking to see if your parents survived, Ally,” the queen admitted. “In truth, we were looking for another member of your family.” There was a very pregnant pause. “We were looking for your twin sister, Jamie.”

When Enna had been little, perhaps seven or eight years old, one of the other kids in the Academy had dared her to jump from the top of the training structure. It had been twenty feet off the ground, but she'd done it and had a sprained ankle to show for it. In the few seconds she'd been falling, her stomach had felt like it shot up to her throat. Hearing this, she thought, felt rather like that.

“There was no sign of Jamie in the ruins, and the Order assumed that she had been killed by Glothic as well.” The queen’s affinity for hesitating was really annoying her now. “That assumption was all we had to go on until a few days prior, when Connor was nearly killed during a training session by a girl who bore a remarkable resemblance to the Infran of Life.”

The world could have ended at that very moment and Enna would have welcomed it with open arms.

“Ally Hatten,” said Queen Gem, rising from her chair again, “meet your twin sister.”

Her words hit Enna like Glothic had kicked her in the stomach. Twin sister. Hatten was her twin sister. Her jaw dropped open slightly and she turned to stare at Hatten, who looked rather as surprised as Enna felt. This girl, the Infran of Life, was her twin sister. She almost began to laugh at the irony of it all: Life and Death, polar opposites yet identical twins in human form.

As the urge to ask the queen if she was serious passed, Enna couldn't help but fade into shock. Why hadn't Krios ever told her this? Had he known about it the whole time? And what of the others? She understood why Glothic would perhaps never tell her this information—she would've killed him and faced a court martial if he'd ever told her—but what about Jezarah? Had she known? If she had, that would have hurt worse than anything the Alvoskians could dream up.

And if this was true, then that meant that the Order had never killed her parents. Or had they actually killed her parents and were just using Glothic as a scapegoat? Had everything she'd ever known been a lie?

Hatten finally broke the silence, her voice somewhat strangled as she did so. “ _What?”_ She whirled around to face Clara Clinton, who looked somewhat upset that this was out in the open. Enna couldn't help but wonder if she'd never come here, would Hatten have ever found out? “Is this true?”

“It is,” Queen Gem said. Woods gasped. Enna looked at the Infrans, who looked almost as surprised as Hatten. She'd practically forgotten they were even there. “I'm sorry, Ally.”

“Sorry?” Hatten laughed right in the queen’s face. “You're _sorry?!_ You _LIED_ to me! How could you? _HOW COULD YOU?_ ”

“Ally, control yourself,” Clara Clinton warned, but Hatten ignored her and Enna couldn't blame her for that. Like either of them were really going to stop her now.

“How could you do this to me?” Her voice was strained and Enna noticed that the girl was close to tears. Panner rose and put a hand on her shoulder but Hatten shook him off. “First the Wolftails didn't tell me about what I am and how my parents died and that Bill’s my cousin, and now you’re telling me that I have a twin sister I never knew about until she tried to murder one of my best friends!” Enna noticed with a start that her eyes weren't red with tears, they were blazing with anger and her teeth were slowly turning into fangs. “You tell us to trust you but you never trust us, you never trust me! What's next? Am I going to find out my parents are actually alive but were sent away for my protection?! What is _wrong_ with you?”

“Miss Hatten!” Clara Clinton snapped.

Instead of yelling right back at the head of the Order—which Enna would have commended—Hatten just went quiet. Her teeth started to shrink and the fiery anger in her eyes spluttered and vanished. “Why didn't you ever tell me? Is there something wrong with me?”

The queen looked taken aback, and exchanged a vaguely panicked look with the old king on her left and the head of the Order on her right. “No,” she said firmly. “That isn't what we’re saying at all.”

Hatten’s smile was more of a grimace. “How do I know you aren't lying about that too?”

Queen Gem and Clara Clinton’s silence was answer enough. By the time that Enna looked back from the two ladies to Hatten, the Infran of Life had bolted from the room.

Enna made to make a move after her, but her guards reached for the swords at their sides and even Joseph moved to block her. “Come on,” she said in exasperation, whirling around to face Queen Gem. “You can't just spring that on her and expect her not to bolt! Someone has to go after her.”

A chair scraped against the floor, and Enna could see Panner get to his feet and nod at the queen, closely followed by Dares. “We’ll go after her, Your Majesty,” he replied. His eyes were stuck on Enna, and Enna couldn't help but recall that if Panner was Hatten’s cousin, then that meant…that meant she was his cousin too. She could almost see the resemblance between the two of them—same cheekbones, same bright green eyes…

Dares tugged on his hand, and the connection was broken. “Let’s go,” she whispered, and with a reluctant glance back at Enna, Panner and Dares walked quickly out of the room.

Joseph escorted Enna back down to the dungeons just as the queen called the room to order—the rest of the Infrans wanted to go after Hatten, and Enna couldn’t blame them. “I don’t think it was a good idea for Her Majesty to spring that on you,” he said out of the side of his mouth. “At least not in front of everyone.” There was a pause wide enough for two heartbeats, then, “Are you alright?”

Enna bit her lip. “Yes,” she lied. “I’m fine.”

Jezarah would have scolded her for lying and demanded the truth, but Joseph wasn’t Jezarah. (He wasn’t the Malusi either, who never would have asked the question in the first place.) Joseph just nodded and left it alone. The ball of hope in her gut—infinitesimal as it was—shriveled up and crumbled to dust.

That night in her cell, a scrap of moonlight wafting in through the window, she drew her knees up to her chest and tried to ignore her hunger pangs. It wasn’t too hard: her mind kept wandering back to Queen Gem’s revelation. She had a sister. A _twin_ sister. Vita Almighty, she had an Alvoskian and an Infran for a twin sister. If her fellow Knights got a hold of this information, she’d never be able to live it down.

She tried to rationalize why Krios Karavan and General Glothic never told her this information, but all she was able to come up with was that maybe they just didn’t want her to defect. Her head hurt at the very thought of defecting, and her fingers automatically rose to the scar on her neck, right above her carotid artery. Hatten didn’t have a scar there.

How come she couldn’t remember how she got that scar?

With significant effort, she pushed her thoughts away from that dangerous avenue and moved back to Hatten. What was she going to do with a twin sister? Did Hatten even want her as a sister? Probably not, considering the way that she’d bolted out of the room.

With nothing but her thoughts to keep her company, Enna finally drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Ally needed to run, and run she did. She sprinted away down the hallway, pushing past guards from the Order and even knocking one of the castle maids into a suit of armor. Her lungs burned like she imagined Flames’s lungs always did and she fought hard to believe that the tears streaming down her face were just drops of sweat. Finally, she stopped next to one of her favorite tapestries and sat down, chest heaving.

How could Queen Gem have never told her? Granted, they'd believed that her twin had been dead for the last thirteen years, but they should have told her that she had had a sister to begin with! And the Wolftails—did they know too? Why hadn’t her first family ever told her about her presumed dead twin sister?

What would have happened had she killed Enna that fateful day? Had she killed Enna, she would have had to look down at the dead face of her twin sister. That—well, she might not have appreciated the news but she was at least grateful that she hadn't succumbed to battlefield instincts and killed the girl.

Enna, the Kilvoskian Knight of Malus, was her twin sister. Different name (the queen had called her Jamie, right?), different childhood, different morals probably. Vita, why did everything have to be so complicated?

“Ally.” And suddenly Bill was there, kneeling in front of her with a worried look in his eyes. Janet was at his side as always—they always had each other’s backs, didn't they? She wished that she had someone like that. Someone at her side no matter what. “Ally, are you…no, obviously not.” He paused. “I'm sorry, Als.”

“Why didn't she tell me?” Her voice was weak from the running and the tears clogging her throat. “I would've wanted to know.”

“We know, Ally,” Janet soothed, pressing her hand against Ally’s shoulder and squeezing it in a motherly gesture. “I get it.”

Ally wrenched her shoulder out of Janet’s grip, old anger flaring up again. “No, you don't know. You don't know anything! No one’s ever kept secrets like that from you! Your parents are still alive and you don't have any secret twin sisters so you don't have a damn clue as to what I'm going through right now!”

“Don't yell at her,” Bill snapped. Janet didn't say a word, just looked down at her shoes. “Okay, so we don't know what you're going through but we are trying to help you.”

The anger vanished just as quickly as it had appeared, like someone blowing out a candle. “I'm sorry,” she muttered. It was true. At least somewhat. “It's just—everyone knows more about my family than I do and I'm sick of it.” That didn't even begin to describe the irritation welling up inside her soul, but it came close enough.

“I'm sorry,” Janet whispered.

Ally nodded, throat suddenly tight. “Yeah,” she murmured around her tears. “Me, too.”


	2. The Aftermath

Enna rejoined consciousness with the grace of two trains slamming into each other, and as she bolted upright she automatically reached for a weapon and ended up throwing her helmet at the wall. Rookie mistake—her reflexes were going to shit in here.

Hatten, eyes blazing like the roaring fires they lit on winter nights, was arguing with the head guard that stood outside Enna’s door night and day like she'd been arguing since birth. “—put her in here, then I'm going to be here too.”

“Miss Hatten, the girl is dangerous—”

“I'm right here,” Enna snapped, voice hoarse due to lack of water. “If you're going to talk about me like that, why don't you come and do it to my face?”

The guard ignored her like always. “Look here, Miss Hatten, I have orders directly from Clara Clinton that say I'm not to let the girl out of her cell because she tried to kill you—she's a Kilvoskian, for crying out loud!”

Before Enna had a chance to tear into the guard for that bigotry, Hatten got right in the guard’s face. “She had as much of a choice in what happened to her as I did, which is _none_. She is my sister no matter what her upbringing says, and if you're going to keep her locked up here like an animal then you may as well lock me in here too. I'm the one who transforms into an animal, after all.”

The guard threw his hands up in the air in exasperation, but Enna saw that Hatten had won. “Fine,” he snapped. To Enna, he said, “Get your things and follow her.” With that, he stalked out of the room, presumably to take things up with Clara Clinton, and left the two of them alone.

“You didn't have to do that,” Enna said. She hoped she didn't sound as stupid as she felt.

Hatten nodded. “I know. I wanted to.” She gave Enna a hesitant glance. “Look. You don't deserve to be in here any more than I do. If you want to be in here—”

“I don't.” She hadn't even realized what she'd said until after Hatten looked at her funny. “I want…” She wanted to be back in Kilvoskia, with Jezarah and Krios and even Glothic. She wanted to be back in the only home she'd ever known. She wanted to be back in a place where things actually made sense. “I don't want to be in here any longer.” There. That was enough revelations for now.

Hatten nodded again. “You think you'll be okay upstairs with all of us? I've told the others my plan.”

Really? Hatten was worried about her? If Enna was in Hatten’s shoes, she'd be more worried about her former target’s reaction that his near-murderer was alive, looked like his friend, and was allowed to interact with the rest of them. “Yes.”

Hatten didn't smile, exactly, but it wasn't a grimace either. “Cool,” she said with a decisive nod. “Then follow me.”

And follow her Enna did. The trek upstairs was long and painful, especially for someone who hadn't eaten since that day Hatten had showed up with a bag of food, but Enna managed it. She was a Knight of Malus, after all, and she never let anyone see her cringe.

The rooms were huge, big enough that she had to take several seconds to observe them all. She probably looked like a tourist, gaping at the paintings and tapestries and high ceilings and sun pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows. She felt out of place standing in the middle of such decor, wearing a grimy and sweaty set of armor with her hair in a greasy braid. Her stomach growled, and Enna nearly killed Hatten then and there for the pitying look on her face.

“I had the Order clear out a bedroom for you,” said Hatten, making no mention of Enna’s stomach. Thank Golgotha. “It'll, um, it'll still be guarded—that was the only stipulation I could get, but you’ve got your own bathroom and you can take a shower and maybe when you're ready you can get food with us or something.”

Enna wanted to say that she'd sooner streak naked through the halls of the castle than eat a casual meal with the Infrans, but swallowed back the comment. “Okay,” she finally said. Hatten could take that whichever way she wanted.

Hatten led her further upstairs, and the bedroom Enna would be staying in was about the same size as the quarters Joss had shown her to. There was a twin-sized bed (she swore if anyone did that on purpose she'd kill them) with blue pillows and white sheets, as well as a window with sunlight streaming in. True to Hatten’s word, there was a bathroom connected to the bedroom. She’d never wanted to take a shower this much in her life.

There was also a guard patrolling in front of the door just in case she wanted to make a run for it. The window was locked and the room had to be at least two stories off the ground. The vents were too small for her to squeeze through, plus she didn't have any weapons. _Looks like I'm stuck here._

“Is there anything I can change into?”

Hatten startled at the question. She did that a lot, Enna noticed. “There should be. In the dresser drawers. And in the closet. I mean, I brought in some of my old stuff since we’re about the same size and all…”

She supposed that she might as well get used to the idea that she had a twin sister, but she’d thought that maybe they could ease their way into this. Hatten seemed content to just barge her way into acceptance, but Enna liked to wait for acceptance to come to her. “Thanks,” she said. “I’ll be here, I guess.”

Hatten nodded quickly. “Yeah. Well, I’ll be downstairs with the others. Training, I mean. And if you want to come down, then you can. We’ll be eating eventually, so when we are I can come up and get you.” Enna turned away, not bothering to reply. Hatten apparently realized she wouldn’t be able to get anything further out of Enna, and she turned on her heel and left, door shutting gently behind her.

Once she was alone, she moved quickly and methodically. She finally took off her armor and old clothing from Kilvoskia, stuffing both in the hamper inside of the closet. Reveling in the feeling of finally taking off the clothing she’d worn for an entire week, she took advantage of her time alone and hopped in the shower. There were only a few times in her whole life that she could remember being truly content, and feeling the soapy water course down her body was one of those times. She cleaned herself up, dried her hair and pulled it back into a braid, and wrapped a towel around her body before venturing back into the bedroom.

Clothes. Hatten had told her there would be clothes for her. Sure enough, upon checking in the closet and the dresser drawers, Hatten had brought her several items of clothing, everything from skirts and dresses to suspenders and sweater vests. And although she was a bit taller than Hatten, the clothing fit her reasonably well. Eventually, she decided on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved black shirt. She wanted to look as nonthreatening as possible so that the sooner everyone here trusted her, the sooner she’d be able to escape and go back to Kilvoskia.

She spent thirty minutes staring at the door and debating whether or not she should go downstairs and eat with the others. Hatten hadn’t come up, which either meant that she’d forgotten or didn’t want Enna to come. But on the other hand, she was so hungry that she was starting to go crazy. She’d swallowed some of the shower water to hold her thirst over, but the hunger wasn’t solvable.

She decided that her need for food outweighed the potential awkwardness of the inevitable conversation, and she went downstairs. The stairs creaked, and she was sure that any moment now one of the Order guards was going to come in out of nowhere and tackle her and force her back into the dungeons, but she passed by undetected. Thank Vita.

Enna stopped in front of an old tapestry, one that looked like it’d been around since before Meyla Hillbringer’s time. It showed eight teenagers fighting what looked like the abstract version of an oppressive regime: she couldn’t make heads or tails of what era of Infrans it was supposed to be showing. But it was well done, very intricately woven. She could see the pain and fear on the kids’ faces as they fought side by side. The Infrans of old, she thought. Did these Infrans fight like that?

She pulled herself out of her trance as her stomach let out a loud growl, and she continued downstairs. The smell of roasting chicken wafted up the stairs and she almost died then and there from hunger. Vita, it hadn’t even been this bad when she’d been training at the Academy that one time and had forgotten to eat while practicing a disarming maneuver. But then again, Jezarah had stopped her after the third day, dragged her to the mess hall and forced Enna to eat everything on her plate. She didn't have a Jezarah now.

When she found the other Infrans, they were gathered around a large table and laughing with one another, joking around and reaching for plates in the middle and ruffling each other’s hair. It was something out of a picture book, something so comfortable and intimate that she felt guilty for tainting it with her presence. Just before she was about to turn on her heel and walk out, Hatten noticed her and stood up so quickly that she nearly overturned Howards’ glass of milk. “Enna! You came!”

“I came,” Enna replied cautiously. She tried not to look too much at Starip, whose shoulders were shaking. “I...should I go?”

“No, uh, come sit down.” Hatten looked around, as though another chair would materialize out of nothing. “Um…”

“I got it,” Panner said, waving off Hatten’s protests. He gave up his chair to Enna and moved to the counter to get another chair. “Take mine, Enna. I don’t mind sitting in this one.”

Enna nodded. “Thank you,” she said gratefully, taking a seat between Panner and Dares, who didn’t look too pleased about this turn of events. Howards continued to eat like nothing was wrong, and soon the other Infrans followed suit. Dares gave her a plate full of food, and Enna stuffed it down her throat as quickly as she could, not even bothering to taste it. She became keenly aware of everyone staring at her eat, and she swallowed, heat rising to her cheeks. “You don’t eat for a week and see how you like it,” she snapped. “I’m hungry, alright?”

No one said a word about her eating habits after that. Panner, on the other hand, spoke up. “So, I guess you’re my cousin,” he said brightly, grinning at her. “I’m glad to hear it. I could always use a few more.”

“I’ve never had a cousin before,” Enna finally replied once the silence between them got too awkward. “Well. Any kind of family, really.” Even though she’d never had any blood family, she supposed that Jezarah was pretty close to being her family member. She looked down at her plate, which still had a tiny cup of soup on it. She reached for the salt, only to find that it was in Howards’ hand. To Panner, she said, “Can you get that girl’s attention for me?”

Panner frowned. “Which girl?”

Enna fought the urge to roll her eyes. “The girl I’m pointing to,” she said, not bothering to keep her voice down. “Howards.”

The entire table went silent. Howards looked down at her plate of food, finally setting her fork down for the first time all evening. Hatten looked rather murderous, and Dares put a hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her down.

“I’m a boy,” Howards finally said. “My name is George Howards.”

“Is that a problem?” Hatten growled. Woods looked ready to transform into a dragon and roast her to a crisp if she said anything otherwise.

Enna couldn't help but flush, rather embarrassed. So that was what the scribble on Howards' file had been about. Why hadn't the Kilvoskians just changed the file altogether instead of writing something vague? She didn't have a problem with Howards being a boy at all. “No,” she finally said, looking down at her food. Guilt made everything look unappetizing. “It’s not a problem.” She hesitated. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Her sincerity must have convinced Howards, who nodded as if to say that her indiscretion was forgiven. Hatten didn’t look so appeased.

Neither, it seemed, did Woods. “They must not have taught the Knights of Malus anything about Infrans,” she said in an undertone clearly not meant for Enna’s ears. Like it had been Enna’s fault that the Council hadn’t given her an accurate file of every bit of their lives.

She knew that she shouldn’t rise to the girl’s jibe but took the bait anyway. “Look here, Woods—”

Woods stood up and slammed her hands down on the table in one fluid motion, actually managing to overturn Howards’ glass of milk. “What the hell did you call me?”

“Woods.” She suddenly felt as though she’d committed another faux pas and swallowed. “Is...is that not your name? I...all that I know about you comes from a file, and it said your name was Fiona Woods—”

If she had walked around the table and spat in the girl’s face, it probably wouldn’t have offended her quite as much. “My name,” she spat, leaning forward and glaring at Enna in a way that made her flinch, “is Flames Zmai. Do not _ever_ call me Fiona Woods.”

Tears shot to Enna’s eyes (of all the times to do so) and she didn’t dare do anything about it, not while she was in the middle of a stare-off. The scar on her throat throbbed. “I didn’t know, okay—”

“You should have known, you were spying on us, didn’t you—”

“And would you have preferred that I knew your name before I killed you?” Enna snapped, completely fed up. “Would that have made you better as you were choking on your blood with my sword stuck in your lungs? Would that have cheered up your friends? ‘Oh no, Flames is dead, but at least that assassin knew her name before she killed her!’ Names don’t do shit!”

“Names define who you are!” she shouted. “I'm the daughter of slave traders. How could I walk around with wings carrying the name they gave me? I made a choice and I'll _proudly_ die with it on my tombstone!”

“Well, that's all well and good for you,” Enna retorted. “You made your choice and you're all the better for it, aren't you? I made my choice too. Names define who you are, but I’m an assassin and a monster in all of your eyes no matter what my name is, aren’t I?”

“Everyone just calm down—”

“Shut up, Panner, this isn't any of your business, this is between me and Zmai—”

“And you're my cousin and she's my best friend, so yes, it is my business. That's how Infrans _work_. We always have each other’s backs.” The room was silent, so silent that someone could have dropped a pin on the floor and they would have heard it from three rooms away. “If we argue with each other, we’re all going to break apart. Flames, Enna, please pull it together for our sake.”

Enna wanted to say that she’d just as soon not interact with Zmai at all, but she realized that agreeing would give her a way out. She gave Zmai a quick nod and looked down at her plate. Suddenly the remains of food weren’t so appetizing anymore. “Okay,” she said, now very close to tears. “I’m leaving now.”

If anyone tried to stop her, she was already too far away to hear.

* * *

Ally whirled around to face Flames, anger swelling inside of her as she caught a glimpse of Enna leaving the room in tears. “What the hell was that for?” she said, voice rising from the rage she felt taking root between her ribs. “Why'd you have to push it? Just because she didn't know your name didn't mean you had to go crazy on her!”

“Flames, you didn't have to be so mean,” Janet added, a crease forming between her eyebrows. “Besides, you're a Kilvoskian too—"  
  
"Oh, shut up!” The room was heating up as a result of the girl’s fury, and Ally could see tendrils of smoke escaping her nostrils. Flames wasn't just mad, she was _pissed_. “And I can't believe you, Ally—how could you possibly sympathize with her?”

“Because she’s my sister! It could've been me, Flames! I could have been the one taken and Vita knows how they would have treated me! Cut her some slack because no matter what she did, at least now she's freaking _trying_ to be nice. You’d be scared shitless right now if you were in her position!”

“You don't—”

“Enough!” Everyone turned around in shock to face Connor, who looked to be near tears. No one had expected him to speak up about this. “Can you just...stop? Just stop! I almost got killed a week ago and it's bad enough that you guys are arguing on top of that! I'm trying to deal with this because I get her situation and if I can understand that then so you can you!”

Flames nodded tightly, cheeks flushing. Clearly Connor’s words had sunk in. The steam Flames had produced was starting to fog up the glass cabinets. Ally looked down at her feet, heart racing. Vita Almighty. Would it be like this every night?

“I'm sorry for stressing you out, Worm,” Flames finally said. “I forgot that you've been through a lot this past week too.”

“Lucky you,” Connor said coolly, but his eyes masked his sadness. “Please don't fight, you guys. The last thing we need now is to fall apart.”

“We won't fight anymore, Connor,” Ally promised with a look at Flames, who quickly nodded back. They had come to a silent agreement: they would try not to fight, but if it came down to it they wouldn't fight in front of Connor. “We promise.”

Connor swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He looked very young all of a sudden, too young to be dealing with so much pressure. Ally’s heart went out to him. “Thank you.”

Ally stood up, walked around the table and wrapped an arm around him briefly but tightly before turning back to Flames and the others. “I’m going to go after her,” she said, her eyes soft but her tone _daring_ one of them to stop her. No one argued against it, not even Flames, and she quickly left the room.

Her footsteps echoing up the stairs, she nearly ran directly into a tapestry in her goal to find Enna. She took a hasty step backward and absorbed the picture within a second: it was a tapestry of the first Infrans, of Puck Perrington and Olivia Olinby and Elle Abbott and the others that she couldn’t remember at the moment. They’d fought so well, she thought. Would she and her friends always fight so in unison with one another? Or would the issue of Enna permanently split them apart?

She arrived at Enna’s door and when she pressed her ear to the door to hear if she was inside, Ally could hear muffled curse words and the occasional sniffle. “Enna?” The sniffles immediately stopped, although the curse words continued. “Enna, it’s me. Are you okay?”

“Go away!” Ally jerked back from the door in surprise. She hadn’t expected Enna’s voice to be so loud. “Why don't you just go back downstairs with all of your other friends?”

“Because I was worried about you,” Ally said evenly, ignoring Enna’s mocking tone as the girl was under a lot of stress. “You were upset and I didn’t want you to be alone—”

“Why the hell do you care about what happens to me? You don't even know me!”

“Because you’re my _sister!_ ” Ally’s temper, slowly rising since the argument in the dining room had began, flared up in a hot spike once more. “And you're right, I don't know you, but you're the only family that I have—that means we _have_ to look out for each other. And I'm going to be here for you whether you like it or not, Enna, so you better damn well get used to it.”

The door was flung open to reveal a red-eyed Enna with her hair in a mess and her fists clenched. “Not everyone has families, you know,” she spat, the anger loosening from her words and posture. Now she just looked tired. “I’m a soldier. Why would I need a family?”

Ally felt taken aback. “You don't…you don't know what a family is?” Her voice was soft, soft enough that it could barely be heard over the creaking of the floorboards and Enna’s quick breathing. What had this girl’s childhood been like?

“Of course I know what one is, I’m not an idiot,” she snapped. Her eyes flickered to her shoes and her fingers traced the scar on her throat, just above an artery. Ally wondered if Enna was thinking of someone else, someone else that she did consider family. “I just don't have one.”

“You could. If you wanted.” The words spilled out before she could catch them. “If you were willing to try.” Enna didn't look up, but she didn't try to slam the door in Ally’s face so Ally counted that as a victory. “Flames just...she's just angry, that's all. Because she's Kilvoskian, and you make her remember that. It has nothing to do with you personally.”

Enna snorted. “That's reassuring.”

“My point is,” Ally continued, slowly starting to realize that Enna got through difficult situations with the aid of copious amounts of sarcasm, “that even though this is difficult now, I know that they're going to accept you.” She paused, wondering if she should say the next bit. “I already do.”

Enna studied Ally carefully, almost reminding the girl of Krios Karavan’s expression during that fateful meeting. “Even if I…” She stopped herself, and her shoulders slumped. She released a hollow laugh. “I'm going to tell you something that'll change your mind for sure.”

Ally’s brows furrowed. Her heart started beating just a little bit quicker, almost like it was afraid of the answer. What was Enna going to say? “What do you mean?”

Her lips flattened into a thin line and she looked down again. Then she looked back up, jaw set like she was preparing herself for battle. “I—I’m—I’m the Infran of Death.” She flinched the moment that the words left her mouth, as though she was terrified she would be beaten for the admission.

Ally thought that something had to be wrong with her hearing. “You’re what?”

“I’m the Infran of Death.” Now Enna sounded like she was speaking around a lump in her throat. She ducked her head again, unable to meet Ally’s eyes. “I’ve…I’ve known since I was a little girl. I’ve been training my entire life to be the Malusi’s weapon and…and being the Infran of Death was just an added bonus for him.” She gulped. “I thought you ought to know before you stop accepting me unconditionally.”

Ally felt as though her stomach had been strapped to a booster rocket and launched into orbit around the moon. She couldn’t believe it. Not only was Enna her twin sister, but she was also the Infran of Death? An Infran that the Order had been searching for for as long as Ally could remember? Then another realization hit her like a bombshell. Had Queen Gem known? She thought she would explode from anger if the queen had lied to her again. “Who else knows?”

“Krios Karavan.” Well, that was to be expected. “Everyone in my squadron of the Knights of Malus, General Glothic, Jezarah—” Enna pressed her lips together again. Although curiosity smoldered inside of her, Ally didn’t ask who Jezarah was. “I think that your queen knows. And Clara Clinton. They would have that information for sure.”

Ally’s fists clenched at her sides. “I can’t believe it,” she spat, storming inside Enna’s room. Vaguely she realized that she should have asked for permission but was too mad at the moment to care. “I cannot _believe_ that they lied to me again!”

Enna raised an eyebrow. “You realize that you’re not the only one they lied to, right?” Ally stopped in her tracks. She had realized that...very deep down. “And honestly, I’m a bit glad that it was my secret to tell. Now they don’t have any power over me.” Nerves flashed over her face again. “Are—what do you think?”

“Honestly?” Ally exhaled sharply, starting to calm down a little. “I-I wish I’d known earlier, but I don’t have a problem with it.” Relief etched itself into every crevice of Enna’s face. Ally stuck out her hand. “Are we okay?”

She rolled her eyes but took Ally’s hand anyway, shaking it in one quick pump before releasing it. “Yes,” she finally said. “I think we are.”

“Cool.” Ally grinned for the first time in what felt like hours. “Hey, so...I know you might not have had much of a childhood what with being a Knight of Malus and all, so…” She leaned in close, lowering her eyebrows conspiratorially. “Do you want to build a blanket fort?”

Enna’s brows furrowed. “What’s a blanket fort?”

“You know...a fort made of blankets.” Ally was beginning to feel like she’d overstepped again because of course Enna hadn’t ever made a blanket fort, she'd probably spent her entire life training with no room for moments of childhood. “Have you never been in one before?”

“The only fort I’ve ever been in is a military one.” And then Enna gave her a half-smile, one that reminded Ally of Bill when he was starting to relax after a training session. Her heart leapt at the thought that Enna was beginning to trust her a little. “But I’d be willing to learn.”

“Then, Enna,” Ally said with a gallant gesture, “after you.”

* * *

When Hatten announced that they would be building a blanket fort to the Infrans still eating dinner downstairs, any tension in the room had instantly dissipated as they sprinted off to their respective bedrooms and returned with armfuls of blankets and pillows. George and Hatten led Enna to the living room and taught her how to set up the fort. She helped Zmai and Dares—both of whom were polite to her, which was more than she’d been expecting—drape blankets over the chairs they’d gathered while Panner and Starip carefully laid out pillows as walls. She couldn’t help but notice how well they all worked as a team, more coordinated than some of the soldiers she’d worked with for years. Eventually, Hatten and George managed to create a kind of canopy with their bed sheets over the chairs, and one by one they all crawled inside.

It was warm under the blankets, Enna noticed, warm enough that Dares shed her sweater and tied it around her waist. Light seeped through the blanket canopy and cast colorful shadows onto their laps as the Infrans laughed and pushed each other around, smiling at their creation. Enna bit her lip to conceal her smile and found herself relaxing just a little. No one could hurt her here, not amidst the blankets and pillows and the warmth that felt like one of Jezarah’s rare hugs after a battle. It had to be the most relaxed she’d been since entering Alvoskia.

“I can’t even remember the last time we did this,” Zmai commented with a half-smile. “How long has it been?”

Hatten rested her chin in her hands, lost in thought. “Probably not since...since Dearborn,” she finally said, her voice hitching over the name. Enna thought that the name sounded familiar but couldn’t quite place it. The light mood inside the cocoon of blankets flickered for a moment. Starip looked down at his hands and Dares sniffled. “It’s been a while.”

Enna’s curiosity burned her tongue but she didn’t dare ask. She didn’t need to give them any more reasons to hate her.

“We should go back to the Meadow,” Starip said softly. Dares and Panner both nodded, as did Hatten. Enna wondered if the Meadow was where this Dearborn was buried. “Sometime soon.”

Zmai licked her lips and looked around at all of them one by one. “You know,” she mumbled, “if I die, I want to be buried there.”

“Don’t say that—”

“I’m just being realistic, Janet,” Zmai retorted, not unkindly but not gently either. Panner put his hand over Dares’ and squeezed it. “The war just started. Do you honestly think we’ll all make it through?”

“No,” Enna said at the same time that Hatten did. The fact that they’d spoken in perfect unison startled her a little, but not nearly as much as Hatten’s opinion being the same as hers. She hadn’t expected Hatten to be quite so pragmatic. “War is hell,” she continued. Everyone was looking at her and she flushed, but she maintained eye contact. “Believe me, I know. And it'll take anyone it wants to, no matter how much you think otherwise.”

Zmai nodded at her tightly, and Enna inwardly noted that it was a nod of agreement. They might not be friends—far from it—but at least they weren't killing each other.

“When did you start training?” Everyone turned to look at George, who sat next to Starip. He shrugged. “I'm just curious.”

“I was placed into the Academy when I was a toddler,” Enna said, struggling to recall those days. It all seemed like so long ago. “When I was seven, I…” She paused, coming up short. Why couldn't she remember the circumstances that she'd been placed in Jezarah’s care? She remembered Bran and having to kill him to earn her Kelva, but that didn't get her from Point A to Point B. “I was placed in the care of another assassin. Her name’s Jezarah and she—she's looked out for me for as long as I can remember. Taught me everything I know about being an assassin.” Her mouth clamped shut and her ears reddened as she remembered that Starip was there too.

Starip, however, didn't seem outwardly bothered. “She taught you well,” he whispered, rubbing his throat. “I can't fight that well. I'm surprised you didn't kill me from the get-go.”

“You aren't bad,” she said, surprised at the truth in her words. She had a feeling that if she hadn't caught him by surprise then he wouldn't be so bad with a sword. “You just don't practice enough. You're the Infran of Knowledge so I get that fighting isn't your strong suit but you've still got to take a moment away from your books and train with a sword.”

Starip nodded like he was actually taking her words into consideration.

Hatten was the next to speak. “Dearborn was our mentor,” she said in answer to Enna’s unspoken question. “I guess she was to us what Jezarah is to you. And Glothic…he killed her. He killed her even though in his last life he was her younger brother Dyas.”

Enna’s jaw didn't drop. Nearly. How could Glothic do such a thing? She'd long since desensitized herself to killing people, of course, but the idea of killing family disgusted her. “I'm sorry,” she said, because the enormity of everything _else_ that she wanted to say threatened to tear her to shreds.

“It's okay,” Dares assured her. “It wasn't your fault.”

Unsure of how to carry the conversation forward, Enna undid her braid and tied it back into a high ponytail. She caught Panner staring at her and bit back the perfect insult; instead, she just raised an eyebrow and waited for him to voice his thoughts.

“How'd you get that scar?” he asked. “I thought it might have been a birthmark or something but Ally doesn't have it. You, uh, don't have to tell me if you don't want to,” he hastened to add. “Just wondering.”

Enna’s fingers flew back to her scar. “I…” She choked down her instincts and made herself to think. How had she gotten the scar? “I…it may sound strange but I can't remember.” She forced a laugh while her mind raced to come up with an explanation so they wouldn’t think that she was crazy. “It’s been so long.”

Hatten and Zmai exchanged concerned glances, but Starip spoke up before Enna could reply. “You know,” he said softly, “it’s said that the Infran of Time has the power to bring back memories. It wasn’t until about five generations ago that that ability was discovered, but it’s possible.”

George nodded, smiling at her. “Yeah, I could help you. If you want, I mean."

“Um…” Enna’s voice stalled, her hands twisting together in her lap. This was not how she’d intended her evening to go—why were they being nice to her? She didn’t deserve their kindness or their favors; besides, she still wasn’t sure if Queen Gem or Clara Clinton would decide to ship her off as a prisoner of war or execute her on the spot. She looked over at Hatten for guidance (and to see if she thought his offer was genuine) and the girl gave her a tiny nod. “Okay.”

George’s smile widened, and she bit down her own smile. He might not be a good soldier but he was a cute kid. “Cool!” he said. “Connor, what do we need to get her memory back?”

Starip tilted his head back, lost in thought. “Give me a second,” he said, probably poking through hundreds upon hundreds of memories to get to the one that George needed. Enna suddenly remembered that the Infran of Knowledge had an eidetic memory—something that would have definitely come in handy during her assassin training exams. “Alright, I’ve got it. You two sit close together, like within arms length.”

George moved closer to her and the others moved out of the way. Once Hatten and Zmai moved themselves further back and Starip scooted to the side, Enna crawled forward until she and George were within a foot of each other, sitting cross-legged. “What now?”

“Both of you have to concentrate. Enna, close your eyes and focus on that day, or as far back to it as you can remember. George, you have to concentrate on keeping your mind blank so she won’t be overwhelmed by two different sets of memories.”

Enna shut her eyes, unsure if George was also doing the same. She thought back as far as she could, back to the last days of her childhood. She thought back to Krios taking her to her old bedroom, telling her privately that he believed she was ready to earn her Kelva. He’d told her to kill Bran, that she remembered perfectly.

She remembered holding her songbird between her hands. He’d been small enough that he’d rested in the palm of one hand comfortably, looking up at her with a questioning chirp. She had gripped Bran tighter and tighter, wanting him to fly away from her so he could be safe. She had felt his little bones crack from the strength of her grip. She remembered the hot tears welling up in her eyes, how she had refused to let any of them fall, how she had refused to let him see her cringe. She remembered thinking frantically that she had to get away. She remembered that she had planned to defect—

Wait. She’d planned to defect?

“George,” she heard Starip say from far away, far from her memories of chirping birds, “grab Enna’s hands and squeeze.”

She felt George’s small hands squeeze hers, and then everything went white.

* * *

_Jamie tiptoes down the hallway, her duffel bag slung over her shoulder. The floor creaks beneath her feet but she keeps moving, careful not to wake up anyone. She knows from years of experience that the guards switch shifts at a quarter to midnight, and she’ll be able to sneak out during that interim period. From there, she’ll walk until morning to the nearest town. She knows that the Order of the Infrans has stations everywhere and they’ll be able to help her get to safety—even if that safety means going to Alvoskia._

_She makes it to the window overlooking the compound and swallows, looking down at the only home she can remember. Just this morning she’d been so happy about getting to receive her Kelva years ahead of everyone else, but now everything has changed. She thinks of Bran’s little body, limp and bloody in her hands, a final chirp rising as he looks up at her, as if to say that it isn’t her fault, and resolve hardens in her lungs. She can’t be here anymore._

_Jamie makes a move to go further, but then something grabs her by the straps of her duffel bag and tugs her backward. She immediately throws all caution to the wind and fights back, arms windmilling as she punches at the darkness around her. Nothing happens, and right as she thinks that maybe she’d just been hallucinating, hands come out of the darkness and shove her to the ground, knocking the wind out of her lungs. Tears prick her eyes because she’s only seven and she’s scared, she’s so scared—_

_The clock chimes a quarter til, and a light from a lantern flickers in front of her. Her heart is in her throat as Krios Karavan steps into the light, eyes narrowed and face impassive, black robes swishing behind him. His sword rests at his hip._

_“M-Malusi.” Jamie’s voice shakes almost as much as her body. Her hands clasp together in a prayer position, hoping beyond hope that this won’t be how she’ll die. As the Infran of Death, does she have the power to bring herself back to life? Or does that just make her easier to kill? She doesn’t know and doesn’t want to find out. “Malusi, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please…”_

_Quick as a flash, his sword is out of its scabbard and in his hand as he stalks closer to her. She’s frozen out of pure fear, her heart skipping a beat. “You know what the punishment for deserting is, Enna,” he says, low and dangerous. “How could you want to leave when I’ve been so good to you? When I’ve taken you in, trained you, raised you? The world out there is cold and cruel and you know it.”_

_“I’m not afraid,” she snaps back in an unexpected show of bravery. “The Order will help get me to safety.”_

_A quick flash of teeth, and he says, “The Order killed your parents, Enna.” Her entire world shatters around her, but he doesn’t look too fazed. “I doubt they’d waste a second before killing you too.” His sword swings and just as she thinks she's going to die, it stops at her throat. It’s sharp and she can feel it nicking her, blood seeping down her neck from where he’d cut her. “I’m not like the Order, Enna. I believe in second chances.”_

_Jamie’s heart leaps at the thought of a second chance. “A…a second chance?” Maybe she won't die today after all._

_“Yes.” He retracts the sword from her throat and puts it back in his scabbard. Blood trickles from the cut but she doesn't dare move to stem the flow. It'll most likely scar. “I will make no mention of your overreaction if you accept your Kelva and never think about or discuss your attempt at defection. Do we have a deal?”_

_She nods. The Order had killed her parents. They wouldn't help her, and she wouldn't accept help from them either. And this is the only home she's ever known. She'd be a fool to leave it. “Yes, Malusi. I promise I'll never do anything like it again.”_

_“Good.” She feels his gaze on her as she rises shakily to her feet. She had overreacted, that's all. Krios had forgiven her. She’s still alive. “Go back to your quarters. I will escort you to your training at dawn.”_

_She flees before he can change his mind._

* * *

Enna’s eyes popped open and she gasped for air, feeling as though she’d had to swim upwards from the bottom of a very deep lake. It took several seconds for her vision to unblur, and the faces of the Infrans swam back into focus one by one. Her stomach lurched from nausea and she barely managed to swallow back vomit. George looked about as good as he felt, but she was impressed that he hadn’t thrown up on her. He just stared at her, shock painted over his features, and it suddenly registered that he had seen everything that she had just relived.

Oh Vita. He’d...he’d seen it all too. He’d seen her crying and scared, begging for her life. She was just glad that she’d forced herself to cut off the memory. He didn’t need to see the first few days of her new training, shifting from mentor to mentor until Krios finally handed her off to Jezarah. He didn’t need to see her forcing herself to forget that night just in case Krios would change his mind and kill her. He didn’t need to see that.

“Are you guys okay?” Hatten asked frantically, and Enna realized that she must have repeated the question several times while Enna had been lost in her thoughts and memories. “You were fine one second and then you both just started shaking.”

Enna’s heart skipped a beat. “Did I...was I saying anything?”

“No,” Panner said, and Enna sighed inwardly in relief. “Neither of you said anything. The entire process lasted for like thirty seconds.” Had that been all? It had seemed like years, getting lost in her own memories again. “George, are you okay? Did you see what Enna saw?”

Her breath caught in her lungs and she held it in, trying to beg George with her eyes not to say anything. She was sorry that he’d seen her memory of the event too, but she didn’t want the other Infrans to know. If they knew that the Malusi had nearly killed her because she’d tried to defect, then she would be subjected to pitying looks and misplaced sympathy for the rest of her imprisonment. She didn’t want to deal with that. “No,” he finally said. “I didn’t see anything.”

Her shoulders relaxed. The others looked a bit disappointed, but they didn’t press. “Thanks,” she said to him. “For helping me remember, that is.”

George smiled back at her. “Happy to help,” he replied, and the strangest thing was that he seemed to really mean it.

“Now that that awkwardness has passed,” Zmai said lightly, causing Dares to laugh and Enna to roll her eyes, “uh, what are we going to be doing tomorrow? Carson and Hui were saying something about a whole new training session.”

Panner groaned. “They’re probably going to make us train even harder just in case, well, someone like Enna comes along to kill us again.” He winced and Enna shrugged as if to say that all was forgiven.

“I think that they’re preparing us for a mission,” Hatten said softly. “They have to be. I mean, there’s gotta be something that we can do that doesn’t involve being stuck in the castle.”

“I’m sure there’ll be something,” Dares replied, optimistic to a fault. “They can’t keep the Infrans locked up forever.” Enna pointedly did not make eye contact with anyone, and she prayed that Hatten wasn’t looking at her either. “Speaking of Infrans, do you think that we’ll ever find the Infran of Death?”

Hatten didn’t say a word. Hail, glory, and hallelujah. “I don’t know. I hope whoever the Infran of Death is will reveal themselves sooner or later.” Dares raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment further. “I’m worried about Rynn, though.”

There was that name again, Rynn. Whoever she was or had been, she must have been really important to them all. Was she their sister? Enna guessed that Rynn and Joseph had been in a relationship or had been on their way to having one (either that or they were really good friends), which would explain why he cared about her status so much. “Who’s Rynn?”

Starip startled, like he’d forgotten that she was there at all. “Rynn is Dearborn’s niece. She and our other friend Joseph were taken captive by the Kilvoskians when we...when we escaped after meeting with the Malusi.” Enna couldn’t help but wonder if she had been put on guard duty that day so she wouldn’t have to come face to face with her twin sister. “Joseph was set free, but they still have Rynn. Queen Gem and Clara Clinton have been negotiating to try and get her back, but...”

Enna suddenly remembered that Queen Gem or Clara Clinton had been saying something about exchanging her as a trade. Was their intention to trade her for Rynn Dearborn? “I’m sorry,” she finally said, neglecting to say her thoughts out loud.

“It’s alright,” Panner answered, always quick to reassure her. “I…we all hope that we’ll see her again soon.”

The conversation flourished and dwindled from there, and at the chiming of the clock they all decided to go back to bed. Panner hoisted a sleeping Starip on his back and carried him up the stairs, Zmai and Dares discussed training all the way up to their rooms, and George and Hatten joked with each other while Enna trailed behind them. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was what a family was like.

“Enna?” She blinked and turned to face Hatten, who was the only other one still in the hallway. “Good night.”

Despite herself, she smiled back. “Night.”

* * *

Ally felt awkward. She had thought nothing of inviting Enna to train with them after breakfast, knowing that the girl wouldn't have anything else to do but lounge around the castle under guard, but now it was just strange to have Enna watching them train. Everyone trusted her a little more since they’d built the blanket fort a week ago, but it still felt weird. Connor seemed especially nervous—thank Vita they hadn't let Enna have a sword, otherwise Connor would have fainted. But Enna was just sitting there in the training room, watching them with a rather pensive look on her face while two members of the Order stood near her to make sure she wouldn’t try to grab a weapon and kill them.

Connor was attempting to spar with Reese, one of the members of the Order, but Reese wasn’t doing so well: his sword hand kept shaking and his grip was weak, so Connor didn’t have much trouble with knocking the sword out of his hand. Enna scoffed as the sword clattered out of Reese’s hand for the third time in a row and stood up. “No,” she said firmly. The fact that she’d spoken took everyone in the room aback, including the two Order guards. “Vita Almighty, no. That is not how you do it.”

Reese looked offended. “Excuse me? I’ll have you know that I’ve been training in swordfighting for the last ten years; I think I know how to teach someone.”

“I’m not calling your swordfighting skills into question, I’m calling your teaching skills into question.” Enna stood calmly while Reese furiously spluttered, looking as though someone had insulted his entire family. “You’re going too easy on him and it won’t help in real life. Do you consistently train him? I would have killed him easily that day had Howards not stopped me.”

Reese’s ears went a brighter red than Bill’s hair. “And just what do you know about teaching someone swordfighting?”

“I've been an assassin for the last seven years. I think I know what I'm talking about.”

He scoffed. “Prove it.”

“Watch me.” Enna walked over to Ally, holding out her hand. “Do you have a sword I can use? They confiscated all of my weapons.”

“For good reason,” Reese muttered.

Ally had never much liked the man and wanted to see what Enna could do, so she pulled out a second sword from the scabbard hanging at her hip and gave it to Enna. “Thanks,” she said with a quicksilver grin, and she moved it from hand to hand with ease, like she’d been wielding it for years. “Now, Starip, get into ready position.” Connor did so, sword shaking. “Okay, that’s fine if you want to get stabbed.” Reese’s jaw dropped but Connor snorted from laughter, as did Ally. “You need to be more relaxed. Get on the balls of your feet and bend your knees a little.” She demonstrated. “See?”

“Like this?”

“Yeah, that's fine. Now for the love of Vita, loosen your grip. Holding a sword isn’t like gripping a stick: you’ve got to grip with your thumb and first two fingers and curl the other two loosely around the hilt. Gives you more flexibility to maneuver, see?”

“Yeah, I see.” Connor followed her instructions and then held his sword slightly out in a shoulder parry or, as the instructors liked to call it, the 'on guard' position. His wrist was relaxed and in line with his forearm, and Ally could tell that Enna’s advice was actually helping him. He then cut down with the sword experimentally and his form was much better than it normally was.

Enna nodded, her lips set in a thin line. “Okay, good form. Just remember to keep your grip like that. Now, when attacking, where would you attack first?”

“Probably the head or the gut, anywhere that kills them instantly,” Connor answered after a moment of deliberation. “Or maybe on the hand, to get them to drop their sword.”

“Getting them on the hand is tricky, but I approve of the first two. You’ve got to make contact with your opponent on any area that is nicely padded with muscle. The head, the shoulder, the upper arm, the gut, the legs, etcetera. You’ve got to distract them because your opponent will be expecting you to go for the throat or the eye; they won’t expect you to target somewhere small.” Enna thrusted her sword at Connor’s upper arm, the swordpoint stopping an inch from breaking the skin, and Connor nearly dropped his sword in both surprise and in attempt to block it. “See? Now your opponent is confused, and you go for the gut or the head or whichever area is closest to your sword. Here, try and get me.”

Connor thrusted at Enna’s gut, which she parried easily before feinting forward with her sword, distracting Connor while she twisted his wrist and made him release the sword, which fell with a clatter onto the floor. Ally couldn’t help but stare, impressed with the maneuver. Enna allowed Connor to pick up his sword before they continued, Enna parrying while Connor thrusted forward, and then they switched. Connor attempted to block her attack on his shoulder and she just laughed.

Flames looked offended on Connor’s behalf. “Hey, don’t laugh at him.”

“First of all,” Enna said, ignoring Flames, “the shoulders are blocked with the sword tip up. Blocking them upside down like you just did will get your fingers cut off, and while you’re screaming about bloody fingers, the attacker will incapacitate you and anyone next to you in a line fight.”

“Duly noted,” Connor stated seriously, looking like he really was committing this all to memory.

Reese snorted derisively. Ally had honestly forgotten that he was there at all. “Look, kid, that’s great and all, but I doubt that he’ll come across any opponent that brutal.”

Enna laughed out loud before Ally or anyone else in the room could counter against the stupidity of that statement. “Have you ever encountered someone from the Knights of Malus? We—they’ve got no qualms about being as brutal as possible all the time.” Suddenly, she smiled. “Would you like to go head to head? I’m a little out of practice.”

Reese grinned right back at her, his hand going to the scabbard resting at his hip. “Absolutely.”

“Is this really necessary?” Janet asked, giving up the pretense that she wasn’t paying attention to the commotion as she, George, Bill, and Flames all came closer to Enna and Reese. “Enna, you don’t have to do this.”

“I want to,” Enna said, and it struck Ally that she kind of wanted to see Enna do it too. “There’s not enough room in here, so I suggest we do this outside.”

“It’s raining outside,” Bill said, biting his lip. Sure enough, Ally’s eyes went to the window and saw the streaks of lightning decorating the stormy sky.

Enna looked rather incredulous, and Bill flushed pink. “Fights to the death don’t stop for the weather.” She turned back to Reese and raised a single eyebrow, challenging him wordlessly. “You still on for it?”

“Absolutely,” he repeated, looking a little less sure than he had earlier but Ally knew that he wouldn’t back out now, not even under the threat of death. He’d look like a coward if he refused to fight Enna.

The Infrans followed Enna and Reese outdoors, where the rain fell in torrents and the mud splashed up onto their pants. George had been smart enough to grab an umbrella on his way out and now shared it with Connor, and Bill looked rather put out that he couldn’t use his powers to make a makeshift umbrella for Janet. Flames stood next to Ally as Enna and Reese ran through a few practice swings. “Enna’s going to kick his ass,” she said in an undertone to Ally.

Ally stifled a laugh. “Here’s hoping, or Reese will become even more insufferable than he usually is.” Deep down, she knew that Enna would most likely come out victorious, but still she worried. It was pouring rain and muddy and Reese had been training with swords much longer than Enna had—what was Enna trying to prove?

“Alright, I’m ready.” Enna bounced a little from foot to foot, but the look of intense focus on her face was a little unnerving. She looked almost as though she’d been training since birth. “Ready?”

“Ready,” Reese retorted, sword out and steady in front of him.

Ally’s eyes narrowed as the two of them circled around each other, waiting for one of them to make the first move. Then, just as she was about to call out for one of them to go already Enna jumped forward and slashed her sword forward in an attack on his shoulder, but Reese parried it easily and advanced, their swords clanging against each other. Enna’s concentration did not falter because of the rain, and she sliced off part of Reese’s sleeve when she feinted an attack on his throat. Reese wasn’t too shabby either; one of his attacks had nearly scarred Enna’s cheek but Enna didn’t seem too fazed.

Her heart leapt into her throat as Enna slipped on the mud and fell to the ground with a thud, but when Reese approached her with his sword swinging, she threw the mud at his face with a well-practiced throw and he barely managed to block her sword in time. She’d gotten him off guard and now his form suffered: he was too busy swiping at the mud in his eyes to keep perfect form and slashed awkwardly at Enna, who seemed rather carefree as she swung her sword at his shoulder.

They got closer and closer together, swords clashing and just when Ally started to think that Reese would overtake Enna based on pure strength and size, Enna leapt out of the way. Reese spun around in an effort to catch her but she refused to stand still, at one point even jogging in place with that scary half-grin on her face. She launched a kick at the back of Reese’s knees, and once he careened forward Ally knew it was all over. Enna grabbed his left wrist and twisted, distracting him for a split second as she kicked his feet out from under him. She pointed the sword directly at him, an inch from his throat.

There was nothing but silence for several seconds. Breathing heavily, Enna retracted her sword and put it back in her scabbard. “Good work,” she said shortly and turned on her heel, heading back over to the Infrans while Reese groaned in the mud.

“That was…” Flames, for once, was at a loss for words. “That was—wow. That was really impressive, Enna.”

“Thanks.” Ally couldn’t be sure what with the cuts and mud splattered all over Enna’s face, but it almost looked like the girl was blushing at Flames’s compliment. “I had a good teacher.”

“I can tell,” Ally replied, rather speechless as well. “I didn’t...we never got taught to fight like that. Like the way that you fought Reese, I mean.”

Vita, she sounded so stupid but at least Enna knew what she meant. “No, it’s...I get that. Jezarah always taught me to utilize every resource I had in a fight to stack the odds in my favor. There’s no honor when you’re fighting to the death.”

“You weren’t fighting to the death, though,” Janet pointed out.

“Force of habit,” Enna quickly clarified, but Ally wasn’t so sure. Something told her that Enna had forgotten that she wasn’t fighting to the death until the very end of her and Reese’s duel. “I...never mind.”

They probably would have stood awkwardly in the rain all day if two other Order guards hadn’t suddenly appeared with angry expressions. Ally suddenly realized how much trouble they were all in for disappearing from training all to watch Enna spar and win against a member of the Order of Infrans. “What in the world is going on?” snapped one of them. Ally thought that her name might have been Nhi, and the other guard was Sonny. “Infrans, what are you doing?”

“Enna and Reese were just giving us a swordfighting demonstration, ma’am,” Janet answered, always the peacekeeper. “We were just about to go back inside.”

“You’d better!” Sonny looked ready to manhandle them inside himself. “You’ll catch your death of cold in this weather. And Reese!” Reese propped himself up on his elbows and groaned. “Come inside, your shift isn’t over yet.”

Nhi and Sonny escorted them back inside, leaving Reese to follow them once he’d stopped groaning in the mud. Their fight must have seriously taken a toll on him. Enna made to go back to where she’d been sitting earlier but Connor called out after her. “Wait!” Enna turned around, both eyebrows raised. “Um. Can you spar with me more? I have a feeling I could use some more practice after watching you kick Reese’s ass.”

Ally was pleasantly surprised to see that Connor was no longer afraid of Enna, and Enna was clearly shocked as well. “Sure,” she answered after a moment’s hesitation. “S’not like I have anything else to do.”

While she watched Enna instruct Connor on the proper technique behind a good riposte, Ally couldn’t help but think that maybe this could actually work. They’d had a rocky start but maybe Enna coming into their lives wouldn’t destroy them. Enna would have to fess up about being the Infran of Death eventually, but once she did that then they could become stronger.

They could get through this. They could.

* * *

 

Jezarah was not having a good day.

To be fair, the last couple of weeks hadn't been great either—ever since Enna had gone off on some suicide mission of the Malusi’s she'd been worried sick. There hadn't even been any news from their network of Alvoskian spies regarding Enna’s status. Krios thought that since the Infrans hadn't died, Enna had most likely failed and the Alvoskians had either killed her on the spot or locked her up where the sun didn't shine. Krios had forbidden her to go after Enna and see if she was still alive; instead he'd sent her on some guarding mission at a prison on the outskirts of Serkdan. Like that would make her forget about her problems.

Zander, one of the other Knights that had been assigned to this mission, was arguing with the warden about living quarters while Jezarah stood by and waited. She kept watching the prisoners roaming around the yard, walking laps to stay fit while others lifted weights. Vita, this was such a waste of time.

“Sir,” Jezarah said to the warden, deciding that Zander clearly wouldn’t be able to get his point across, “I feel bad for you so how about we make a deal. We get separate rooms on the top floor so we can act as snipers in case of attack. They don't have to be great but either you'll give those rooms to us or I'll be complaining to the Malusi.”

The threat of the Malusi (and Jezarah’s dagger poking out of her sleeve) made the warden go grey and he quickly went off to adhere to her request.

“Thanks, Jezarah,” Zander commented, clearly relieved. He was about five years older than her and lethal with knives but acted like he was a newbie fresh from the Academy. “He was being an ass.”

She muttered acquiescence under her breath and he turned away, focused on his guard duty. The other Knights on duty were all in the yard, watching to make sure that the prisoners did as they were told. Zander probably wished that he was down there with them instead of with her.

 _Empathy’s a good thing, Jezzie_ . Her inner voice sounded rather like her ex-older sister Jelani before she'd hardened her heart and run off. _People might actually like you if you showed some_.

She told the voice to screw off and stood at attention. She did show empathy; she showed empathy to people that she actually cared about. Jelani hadn't liked Jezarah’s empathy and had ditched her. Enna had liked that Jezarah cared for her and was probably rotting in an Alvoskian prison somewhere by now.

There was a sharp whistle from the yard, and Zander and Jezarah immediately whirled around to see all of the prisoners stopping what they were doing all at once. The guards all looked at each other, perplexed beyond belief.

A man thrust his fist into the air, and a sick feeling tightened in Jezarah’s stomach. “Riot!” he yelled, voice echoing all around the yard, and the prisoners charged.

Jezarah grabbed Zander and yanked him out of the way just as an arrow embedded itself against the wall he’d just been leaning on. “Get the warden and the other guards,” she snapped in a voice that would've made Glothic himself tremble. “Authorize plan delta.”

Zander saluted and ran, presumably to tell the others the plan. Jezarah leapt off the railing and landed on a ledge, jumping from ledge to ledge until she landed in the prison yard. They had managed to procure weapons (Vita only knew how) and were fighting the guards, actually winning due to their size and strength. Jezarah elbowed her way into a fight and knocked out a prisoner with the butt of her sword, shoving him aside so he wouldn't be trampled.

Everyone who engaged her in a fight got a stab to the shoulder, debilitating but not fatal. She helped Zander and the other guards the best she could while the warden sounded an alarm and announced over the intercom that backup would be arriving soon. Idiot. Like that would stop the riot in its tracks.

“Jezarah!”

She whirled around to see Zander being held at the swordpoint of an Alvoskian prisoner, who was grinning madly at her. “What're you going to do, love? You don't have the balls.”

“On the contrary,” she remarked calmly, and threw her dagger at his neck, where it cut against something vital and caused blood to spurt everywhere. The prisoner fell with a howl of pain, and Zander knocked him out with the heel of his boot. “I don't have balls but I've got a knife.”

“Thanks, Jezarah,” Zander said with a nod, and Jezarah nodded back. They were a team now, and just as Jezarah was about to suggest for them to go for the prisoners trying to escape, a funny look came over Zander’s face as an arrow sprouted in the middle of his chest.

He would have gone down like a ton of bricks had Jezarah not caught him. Dead on impact, he was, as the arrow had been expertly aimed and had torn apart one of his lungs. Vita Almighty. She set him down to the ground gently and took his hand, gripping it tightly in hers. “In the name of Golgotha I will avenge you,” she promised, the common prayer fierce on her lips. “Rest easy.”

Jezarah charged at the bow-wielder, her other dagger flying out of her sleeve and into her hand as she ducked his arrow and moved to stab him in the gut. Surprisingly she missed—he’d moved out of the way too quickly for her to stab—but he managed to shove her backwards onto the ground.

She tried to jump back to her feet but couldn't, a sudden pain blossoming in her side. Vita help her but he kept advancing and she couldn't do a damn thing; she could barely raise her sword! Even her vision was failing her. What the hell was going on?

Confused, she looked down.

She saw blood blossoming across her shirt, a green knife blade embedded to the hilt in her side. Green. Poison. A poison blade.

Jezarah groaned when she realized what had transpired. Stabbing had its advantages, she knew, but the close proximity was the key vulnerability. If she was close enough to stab, then her opponent was close enough to stab _back_.

She still had to fight. She wasn't going to die like this, not when she still had to avenge Zander and save Enna from the Alvoskians. Not like this. She kicked the bow right out of the man’s hand, but just as she was about to rejoice and pray to Golgotha for backup to arrive, he pulled a sword out of the quiver hanging over his shoulder.

Shit.

Her vision tunneled as he came closer and the energy still remaining in her limbs faded. _Vita help and forgive me, I know I've sinned but please take care of Enna, she's just a kid, damn it, she's just a kid—_

He brought the sword down into her gut in one fluid motion, and everything went dark.

* * *

_"NO!"_

Enna shot up in bed, her throat rubbed raw by the scream that had torn out of her. Her entire body shook and her gut churned, nausea and hot tears welling up and mixing together all at once. Her breaths came in little gasps as the scene that she'd witnessed passed in front of her eyes again. The fight. Jezarah. The sword. The sword being brought down right into Jezarah's gut.

Jezarah was dead. Enna had felt her die, felt the presence that she'd grown so accustomed to over the years flicker out and vanish. The only person that she'd ever really cared about was gone.

Jezarah was dead.

_Jezarah._

"No," she whimpered loudly, burying her face in her hands in an effort to stop her sobs. "No, no, please Vita no, it can't—not her. Not her." Her moan became a wail and she could physically feel pieces of her heart chipping off and crumbling into dust. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she didn't bother to wipe them aside. "Jezarah, Jezarah, please no please not you too…"

The door was flung open, but Enna's reflexes were so bogged down by her grief that she didn't notice it was Hatten until the girl was right in front of her. There was a commotion in the hallway too, she realized, and she listened to the sounds of footsteps and blankets dragging across the floor. Anything to get away from this.

"Enna?" Hatten's hair was a mess and her pajamas were rumpled. She'd probably woken up because of Enna’s screams. "What's the matter, did you have a nightmare?"

Enna couldn't speak, her shivers and tears controlling her body and preventing any words from escaping. She saw the others piling into her room too, one by one: Zmai with her curly hair in a ponytail, Dares with dark circles under her eyes, Panner with a pair of glasses askew on his face, George and Starip with their blankets wrapped around their shoulders. They were all there.

She hastily swiped her tears aside. She hadn't meant for them to bear witness to her grief.

"Enna, are you okay?"

She opened her mouth to say that she was fine, but her composure crumpled. "She's dead," she sobbed. "She's _dead_."

"Who?" Hatten cautiously sat down on the foot of Enna's bed. "Who's dead?"

"J-Jezarah. I…I felt her die. I can…" She gulped in lungfuls of air, trying to concentrate on answering Hatten's question. She could still see it happening, unfolding before her eyes. Jezarah falling. The poison blade. The sword. Vita. "As the Infran of D-Death, I can f-feel when people die. People who are close to me. And I…I saw. J-Jezarah was fighting. She got—she got stabbed. She's gone."

Even through her own tears she could see Dares and Panner exchanging identical looks of confusion. She could see that he wanted to ask if she was telling the truth about being the Infran of Death, but then his expression smoothed out into sympathy. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Zmai's brows furrowed. "Enna," she said carefully, "are you sure that she's really dead? I mean, it could have just been a dream."

Enna leveled her with a glare sharper than the blade of her dagger. "Trust me," she said quietly, no anger in her tone. It was a fair question, so there was no sense in exploding. "I know what it feels like when someone I care about dies."

Slowly, she felt Hatten's arm wrap around her, holding her tight. The other Infrans climbed onto her bed, the springs creaking slightly from all of the weight, and they held her too. She'd never been held like this, never had this long to grieve before. Jezarah had always been a proponent of tough love—she would let Enna be upset but not for long periods of time because she believed that sword fighting was the best way to deal with grief.

"I can't believe she's dead," she whispered, her heart numb.

"I'm sorry, Enna," Hatten murmured. "I'm so sorry."

Her eyes stung with unshed tears, and as Hatten and the others held her, Enna let herself cry.

* * *

 

Ally had stayed up with Enna all night, long after the others had drifted off to sleep. She’d attempted to kick them out of the room, saying that she didn’t want the others to see her like this, but all of them had steadfastly refused. Ally didn’t know if the others considered Enna a friend or even an acquaintance, but Enna was her _sister._ That meant that Ally wasn’t going to leave her to wallow in her own grief alone. So she stayed with Enna, listening to her and offering her tissues and hot chocolate and a hug whenever her composure lapsed and she broke down in tears again. The Infrans had all left for breakfast at around nine in the morning and Ally had gone too—Enna had insisted on being alone so she could write a letter to someone named Jelani and inform her of Jezarah’s death.

Bill had the newspaper propped up against a jug of orange juice and read it with narrowed eyes, having left his reading glasses upstairs. “There was a prison riot in Kilvoskia last night,” he revealed once he was done with the article. Ally put down her muffin and cup of tea to pay closer attention. “Listen. ‘Almost all of the Knights of Malus who were there on guard duty were murdered by the prisoners before backup arrived. The instigators have been sentenced to death by hanging on the twentieth.’”

“Vita,” Flames murmured under her breath, eyes widening in horror. “Enna wasn’t dreaming.” Janet clasped her hand over her mouth, and George and Connor exchanged sad looks with one another. Ally couldn’t believe that Enna’s connection with Jezarah had been so strong that she’d felt her death from over a thousand miles away. “So I guess that means that she’s the Infran of Death too, huh.”

Ally sighed. It wasn’t her secret to give up, but Enna had already admitted it last night, so… “Yeah, she is.”

Janet’s brows furrowed. “Wait. You already knew?”

George’s sad expression faded into a look of confusion. “Is it a twin thing, or…”

Ally barely stifled a laugh. “No, it’s not. She—Enna told me about it the day before yesterday, before we built the blanket fort. She said that she didn’t want anyone to know but she told me because she didn’t want Queen Gem or Clara Clinton to hold it over her head.”

“Right,” Enna said hoarsely, and Ally nearly dropped her cup of tea in her haste to spin around and look at her sister. Enna had clearly taken the time to wash up and get herself in order a little after a full night of grieving, but her face was still somewhat blotchy and her eyes were red and swollen. “And now you all know.”

“I always wondered what happened to the Infran of Death,” Connor revealed after several beats of silence. “Maggie Winsworth and Nyasha Diacode died so close together that I figured whoever the Infran of Death was, they’d be very close in age now. And, well, I guess that answers that.” Enna bit her lip, not saying a word. She sat at the table next to Ally, taking a piece of toast from the plate at the center of the table and nibbling on it a little. Ally was just glad that she didn’t have to remind Enna to eat.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Flames said in an undertone to Enna, whose grip on her toast tightened briefly before loosening again. Enna looked so old all of a sudden, like she’d watched the world blossom in and out of existence in the span of a heartbeat. “I know it won’t help, but I am sorry.”

“S’alright,” Enna mumbled, her eyes not meeting Flames’s. “Thank you.”

Before Ally could turn the conversation away from Enna and Jezarah’s death, Joseph entered the room. While Flames and Janet and the others all greeted him, she noticed that he’d gotten just as much sleep as her and Enna—had he been woken up by Enna’s screams or had his own nightmares kept him up? Pity and worry settled in the bottom of her stomach, making it hard for her to eat any more of her breakfast.

“I’ve been sent to escort you all to Queen Gem’s quarters,” Joseph said in answer to Bill’s question about why he was here. “Miss Enna is also welcome to come.”

Enna shrugged after everyone’s eyes swiveled to her. “I’ll come,” she said after a moment’s pause, swallowing a last bite of toast before rising. “Let’s go.”

* * *

Enna had no clue why she’d been invited to this meeting when it was clearly for the Infrans (although she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she’d been invited because she was an Infran too), but she was grateful. After all, she would have probably just sent the letter to Jelani and gone to beat up a punching bag until her fists bled to get her mind off Jezarah’s death. Vita help her, she’d cried all night and Hatten had stayed with her, letting her be weak instead of scolding her for it. She wouldn’t admit it, not even at swordpoint, but she was thankful for that. Instead of feeling like a bottle of soda shut too tight for the fizz to leak out, she felt…freer. Her heart still hurt but at least she wasn’t bottling up her grief any longer.

When Queen Gem entered the room with Clara Clinton at her side, Joseph and the Infrans all rose to their feet. Enna had forgotten about that being customary and she rose a split second behind them, figuring that they would treat and address Queen Gem the way that she would treat and address the Malusi. “Infrans, thank you for joining us,” the queen said gracefully, sitting down in her throne at the head of the table while Clara Clinton stood at her side, holding a newspaper. The Infrans and Joseph sat back down.

“Thank you for having us,” Dares said. Enna noticed that while Hatten was clearly the leader of the group, the Infran of the Moon was the official spokesperson, the diplomat. “Is there something wrong, Your Majesty, Ms. Clinton?”

“As it happens, there is,” Clara Clinton said gruffly. She showed them the headline of the newspaper briefly and passed it around the table so everyone could see it. Her heart twisted as she skimmed the article. _Prison riot in Serkdan...security measures heightened...several Knights murdered…_ Her meager breakfast threatened to make a reappearance. “As you’ve seen, there was a riot last night in a prison at the outskirts of Serkdan that left several prisoners and Knights of Malus deceased. Krios Karavan is furious and he wants to send more troops to guard all of the prisons to make sure it won’t happen again.”

Enna’s brows furrowed. Yes, she supposed that would make sense, and since the Kilvoskian Knights hadn’t been murdered on Alvoskian soil, there was no reason for him to send troops in a declaration of battle. Protection would do.

“The Gora is currently upping the security measures on nearly all of the prisons—more guards, more swords, more barbed wire, the whole nine yards,” Queen Gem was saying, and Enna made an effort to stop thinking about Krios’ plans and Jezarah lying dead in the prison yard with a sword in her gut. “With these new security measures it’s nearly impossible to stage another riot without immediate threat of death.”

"You said nearly all of the prisons,” Hatten said, and everyone in the room turned to face her. “Which ones aren’t being guarded?”

Queen Gem smiled. “Very astute,” she praised, and Hatten’s cheeks flushed the same pink color as her shirt. “The only prisons that are not being guarded at the same capacity are the political prisons, such as Cavea—where, as you know, Rynn Dearborn is being held prisoner.” Joseph had stiffened at the mention of Rynn Dearborn’s name, and the unbridled hope shining in his eyes was so bright that Enna had to look away. “For the last several months you have been training and preparing for war. We believe that the time is right for your second mission as a team: to rescue Rynn Dearborn.”

Enna’s jaw dropped slightly, and she looked at the others—all of them looked ecstatic at the opportunity to leave the castle on a mission, especially one this important and so dear to them. Joseph looked seconds away from volunteering to go by himself. “The Kilvoskians won’t take this lying down, Your Majesty,” she said, barely keeping her control. The queen raised an eyebrow. “If you do this, you’ll be embroiled in a full-scale war and there will be nothing you can do to fix it.”

“I am aware of this,” Queen Gem said calmly. “We have spent the last several months delaying the inevitable. This time, I will not sit idly back and wait for the Kilvoskians to attack and kill another innocent like Grisha Dearborn. We must attack first, leave them surprised. They would never release Rynn Dearborn in a hostage exchange, so our time to strike is now.” She surveyed the Infrans, studying their expressions one by one like an art critic inspecting a fine painting. “Who will go?”

“I will,” said Ally, glaring at the others as if doubting that they would go. Zmai said an affirmative, closely followed by Panner and Dares. George and Starip were the last to speak up, but they looked no less ready. Joseph nodded as well, although Enna didn’t doubt that he would go even if forbidden by the queen and Clara Clinton.

Enna found herself speaking up as well. “I know shortcuts to get to Cavea,” she said, blushing a bit under the pressure of this statement. She would be attacking her homeland; there would be no going back for her if she did this, and yet she couldn’t bring herself to care. The only person she’d ever cared about in Kilvoskia was dead, so who would she fight for? “Ways that we won’t be caught. I’m a Knight of Malus and they won’t bring me down on purpose.” She took a deep breath. “I’ll come too.” She waited for objections but none came—not even from Clara Clinton or Queen Gem, which surprised her.

“Excellent,” said Queen Gem, clasping her hands together in a sense of finality. Enna could see that beneath her calm demeanor lay a woman who was scared that they wouldn’t all come out of this mission alive. “Please return to your rooms and pack everything you need. You will leave at dawn.”

And even though it was her second near-suicide mission in less than a month, Enna couldn’t help but grin.


	3. The Mission

Dawn arrived swiftly and suddenly, like a curtain had been pulled back from the darkness. They left the queen’s castle in a hurry, barely having had time to eat before Joseph and two other members of the Order came to the dining hall to escort them out. Hatten looked ready to fall asleep where she stood, and George actually had fallen asleep at breakfast. Zmai had left early to practice transforming, and when Enna and the Infrans came down the grassy hill from the castle, Zmai had transformed into a dragon. It was rather impressive, but Enna didn’t have time to reflect on her growing admiration for the girl for long before Queen Gem started talking to them.

“This mission is of the utmost importance,” she told them solemnly, looking them all in the eyes one by one. “I wish you all luck in saving Rynn Dearborn.” She tilted her head upwards, touching two fingers to her chest, over her heart, then to her brow before raising her fingers upwards in prayer. “In the name of Vita our mother and Meyla our queen, have wisdom and peace shine upon us for all of our days.”

“For all of our lifetimes,” the other Infrans echoed, like they did this before every mission. And maybe they did. Enna didn’t know otherwise, nor did she know the prayer. It was probably Alvoskian, and they’d never taught her Alvoskian prayers in the Academy.  _ This is awkward. _

“Do you want to say something too?”

Hatten’s voice shook Enna out of her trance. The other Infrans and even Queen Gem and Joseph appeared genuinely interested in what she had to say. Enna took a deep breath and clasped her hands together loosely, resting them against her stomach. “Our Lady Golgotha,” she began, “watching over from Above, I pray for your divine guidance, so that I…” She paused, considering the circumstances. “So that  _ we _ may have peace, prosperity, good will, good health, and good spirits. It is through thy divine guidance that good fortune may be bestowed upon us. Amen.”

“Amen,” the others echoed, and Enna felt warmth swell in her gut.

Queen Gem beckoned Joseph forward to speak with her, and Enna sensed that they had been dismissed. Hatten and Panner were placing their bags onto the saddle that rested over Zmai’s back, George and Connor and Dares assisting where they could.

Enna knelt to check her rucksack, the dewy grass wet against her knees. Her weapons were all in there—thankfully the Order had given them back to her—and her knives were strapped to her side. She wore her ID necklace around her neck. A bag of snacks had been tucked into one of the pockets, courtesy of George. The toiletries and blankets she'd packed the night before were there. She was all set.

“Enna.”

She stiffened, rising to her feet instinctively. Her eyes slowly rose to meet Queen Gem’s. “Your Majesty,” she said politely.  _ What do you want? _

“I know this cannot be easy for you,” the queen said calmly. “Going against the ones who raised you, helping the Alvoskians.”

“And I know this can't be easy for you, having to rely on a Kilvoskian assassin.” For a moment Enna wondered if she had gone too far, and if this lack of respect for the queen would see her thrown back into the dungeons.

But Queen Gem merely nodded, a flicker of mischief gleaming in her eyes. “I suppose I deserved that,” she said dryly. “But I wanted to express my thanks for agreeing to help rescue Rynn Dearborn.”

Enna hadn't expected that. “You don't need to thank me, Your Majesty,” she answered, her words automatic.

“No,” she conceded. “But I want to.” While Enna stewed on that, the queen continued. “Joseph informed me more about the details of the prison riot in Serkdan, on who was lost there. My condolences on the loss of your mentor.”

Her throat tightened. “Thank you.” By now Jezarah had probably been cremated, as was custom for high-ranking Knights of Malus, and her ashes were most likely scattered to the winds. Enna knew there was no sense in mourning someone who was long gone—she had learned that with Bran—but she still wore her grief like a permanent stomachache.

“Let’s go, everyone, we’re burning daylight!” Joseph clapped his hands together, gesturing George and Connor forward. He approached Enna and Queen Gem, looking apologetic. “Sorry, Your Majesty, but we ought to get going.”

“Of course,” the queen said easily. She did not smile, but she looked a little more relaxed. “My best wishes go with you, Lieutenant Dreary.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Joseph turned to Enna. “You ready?”

Enna took one last look at the castle. It had been her prison for the last few weeks, and honestly, she was more than ready to leave it (and Alvoskia) behind. Whether she was ready to go back to Kilvoskia was another question. What if the Malusi found her and had her sentenced to death for not fulfilling her mission?

Either way, she thought, it was now or never. “Yes. Let’s go.”

* * *

Although Enna hadn’t liked Queen Gem’s insistence that they all should leave at dawn, she understood it completely once she was in the air. Cavea was about two days away by carriage, perhaps a week on foot, but if they flew through the day, they would probably arrive by nightfall. And even though Cavea was a political prison surrounded by lush wilderness and a town populated with maybe a hundred people, the sooner they broke Rynn Dearborn out of there, the better.

The ride there was surprisingly comfortable, but Enna had nothing to compare it to—it wasn’t like she’d ever flown by dragon before. Connor sat next to Joseph, who taught him a bit of military strategy. George sat with Dares and Panner, who were playing a game of cards that Enna vaguely remembered playing in the Academy. Hatten sat next to her, mostly silent but occasionally speaking up about the scenery or trying to engage Enna in small talk.

“This’ll be my second time in Kilvoskia,” Hatten revealed at around noon, after they had stopped for Zmai to rest and for Joseph and the Infrans to relieve themselves. She released a sort of self-deprecating chuckle. “Last time I was here things didn’t exactly end well.”

Oddly enough, Enna smiled, remembering that day. How Krios had put her and Jezarah on guard duty, well away from the Infrans and the ensuing commotion (and by Golgotha’s name, that made a lot more sense now). How Jezarah had dragged her to buy kotletki from a street vendor, insisting that she wasn’t going to share it but then ended up giving Enna the last piece. How General Glothic had briefed them all afterward on what had happened—how the Infrans had escaped, how they had released the dragons, how they were now on the run and would soon be stopped—and Enna had tried to not attract any attention to herself, knowing she would get flak for it from the other Knights later. “I heard about that,” she commented. “Wild day.”

“That’s a word for it.” Hatten tilted her head back, draining the last few drops from her water bottle. “Hopefully Cavea will be a little less chaotic.”

“You’re breaking Rynn Dearborn out of prison,” Enna said before she could stop herself. “It’s definitely going to be chaotic.”

The corners of Hatten’s lips quirked upward. “Fair point.”

They continued to travel throughout the day, George and Connor falling asleep at around four o’clock. Dares and Panner sat closely to each other, and Enna stifled a laugh when Dares rested her head on Panner’s shoulder and Panner looked like he’d won the lottery. Hatten talked to Joseph occasionally but stayed quiet. Enna busied herself with braiding her hair in every style she could remember—fishtail, milkmaid, four-strand—and looked through her weapons again, just to make sure all of them were in the right place.

At nine, they finally touched down in the wilderness, a mile or so from Cavea—according to Joseph, anyway. Enna slid off the dragon’s back, stretching her tired muscles, relaxing once she heard her shoulder pop. She turned around to grab her backpack, setting it on the grass, and got a good look at their surroundings. Lots of trees, even though Zmai had landed in a valley. Lots of stars in the sky, and no rain, thank Vita. Maybe this really would be an in and out thing.

She felt a whoosh of air behind her, and just as she was about to ask where the breeze had come from, Zmai walked past her, looking absolutely wiped out. The Infran of Fire ran a hand through her hair, exhaling through her nose. A little puff of smoke escaped her nostrils as she sat down with a thud on the grass.

_ Cute, _ Enna thought, then backpedaled with surprising speed.  _ Cute? _ That was new. She’d been around Zmai and the Infrans for weeks now and although she did admit that she felt a growing admiration for the girl, she didn’t think that Zmai was cute. Did she?

Zmai laughed at a joke Connor told her, teeth shining bright in the moonlit valley, her curly hair bouncing a little on her shoulders.  _ Cute _ , Enna’s mind affirmed.

_Okay._ _Cute. I can work with that._

“Flames, Enna, can you two set up a fire pit?” Joseph’s voice sent Enna out of her trance and back to the present. “I’ll take the others and go and get some firewood.”

_ Vita, please don’t leave me alone with her, _ Enna wanted to say, but instead she nodded tightly. Zmai smiled and said it wasn’t a problem, and Joseph went off into the woods with Hatten and the others on his heels. When was the last time she even built a fire pit? Did she remember how?

“So…” Enna turned to Zmai, who actually looked sheepish. “Do you think this is a good location?”

“Might be a bit better away from the trees,” Enna managed. “We don’t want to start a brush fire by accident the next time you transform.”

Zmai snorted. “Yeah, I guess I deserve that. Kavi—my instructor—he keeps telling me that I need to work on that. Something about keeping my wings tucked in when I turn back into a human.”

Enna dug around in the bags for something she could use as a shovel, eventually finding a small spade in Joseph’s backpack. She started digging a hole about fifty feet from the location Zmai had suggested, and although her brain wanted nothing more than to build the fire pit in silence, her mouth had other ideas. “When did you start transforming?”

Zmai’s jaw tightened. “When I was around three.”

Enna suddenly remembered that Zmai’s parents were dragon slave traders, that Zmai had run away from home like Enna had tried to all of those years ago. What would it have been like if she’d succeeded? Would she and the other Infrans have grown up together as friends? Her head hurt just thinking about it. “What were your parents like?” she asked.

“They…” Zmai swallowed, old anger and dulled pain flaring up in her eyes. “They loved me. But they were terrible people. They cared more about their business than me. I thought it was just the way things were, that it was perfectly normal that they hid me away when I started transforming, but then I realized that they just didn’t want to alienate their customers.” She paused. “They never wanted who I was, just who they wanted me to be.”

Silence rested between them for a little while, with nothing but crickets chirping in the woods to break it. Enna decided that the hole she dug was deep enough and sat back, pushing her hair out of her face.

“I’m sorry,” Zmai suddenly said. Enna’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I shouldn’t—I’m not usually this maudlin, I swear. And I know…I know you probably can’t relate at all to that and—”

“I can.” Enna wanted to take the words back the second she said them, because now she had Zmai’s full attention and it was slightly overwhelming. “Krios took me under his wing from the start. He taught me how to hurt. How to kill. And even after Jezarah took over training me, Krios and General Glothic kept at me. They forced me into situations where I had no choice to use my powers, threatening people I cared about if I didn’t raise a skeleton army or something like that.” Enna exhaled. She thought of Bran, of kids from the Academy that she’d watched die because she hadn’t performed to Glothic’s satisfaction, of Jezarah dying alone. “I’m sorry for what your parents put you through. And I may not have gone through the same thing as you did, but I know what it’s like to have people not want you to be who you are.”

The corners of her lips quirked upwards into a crooked smile. “Thanks,” Zmai—Flames—said. Enna supposed that now that they’d bared their hearts out to each other, calling the Infran of Fire by her first name was okay. “I guess it’s true that misery loves company.” She laughed. “We ought to really seal this undertaker’s convention by inviting Ally. She’s suffering from her past just like you and me.”

“Suffering isn’t a competition.” Privately, Enna wondered just how bad Hatten had had it. Hadn’t she been sent to live with some family before coming to live with the other Infrans? How bad could that have been?

“Hey.” Enna looked over at Flames, who now appeared contemplative. The moonlight made her skin look darker than usual, almost blue. “I’m sorry for yelling at you. You didn’t know about my name, about why I hated it.”

It took Enna a second to realize what Flames was even talking about. “It’s okay,” she said. “I…” She bit her lip. “The Malusi—he gave me files about all of you. They documented your early lives, your fighting styles, but I guess the Gora didn’t update them often or just didn’t bother to, because the papers said that your name was Fiona Woods and that Howards was a girl and—well, I didn’t think I’d last long enough to get to know you anyway.”

Flames nodded. Enna was just glad that she didn’t try to sugarcoat how close Enna had been to dying. She knew that if it had been Jezarah in her place, Hatten wouldn’t have spared her. “I’m still upset that you tried to kill Connor,” she said quietly. “And I don’t think that anything can fix that. But...you aren’t who I thought you were.”

The words came out automatically. “Who did you think I was?”

“Someone who wasn’t worth saving.” Her heart beat a little faster against her ribs. “But I’m glad I was wrong.”

Her throat was very dry. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Flames said with a smile, like it was obvious. “You’re one of us now.”

Enna ducked her head to hide her smile. She’d become part of a group—and honestly, she didn’t know when winning their approval had become so important to her, but now that she’d gotten it, a little weight was pushed off her shoulders. Composing herself, she said, “We should get this fire pit done before the others come back.”

Just as they were stacking the last rocks around the hole—which Flames had decided to make wider and deeper—Hatten and the others returned, every one of them carrying an armful of lumber. Joseph had an axe attached to the backpack he had slung over his shoulder, but he was carrying just as much firewood as the Infrans were.

“Sorry it took us so long,” Panner said apologetically to Flames and Enna. “Joseph suggested we go further out so the Kilvoskians wouldn’t hear or see us.”

“Good plan,” Flames commented. “And don’t worry, it was all good over here.”

Joseph looked relieved, like he’d expected to come back to a destroyed valley and enough carnage for a horror novel. “Good, that’s good.” He clapped his hands together. “Let’s get to work, you guys.”

The fire burned well into the night, and Enna was grateful for it. Kilvoskian nights had a reputation for being freezing beyond belief and the fire kept the cold at bay. Flames had passed out, exhausted from flying at breakneck speed all day, and George and Connor fell asleep on top of each other. Dares and Panner were discussing something quietly on the other side of the fire, and Joseph was writing a report down for the queen. Hatten sat beside her, playing with a small pile of twigs and occasionally tossing one into the fire.

_ “Glothic killed them. First my father, then my mother. He cut them down. And I was sent to the Wolftails.” _

“What happened with your old family?” Hatten startled, like she hadn’t expected the question. “Before you came to live with the Infrans, that is.”

One of the logs popped in the fire, and the orange sparks popped against the darkness of the sky. Hatten’s eyes followed them up and away, her lips thinning. “After my—our parents were killed,” she finally said, half a second before Enna was going to give up on her for an answer, “I was sent to live with a family that Mom and Dad knew. The Wolftails, Artricia and Larsen and their pups Kaylia and Nanya. They raised me as one of them, as one of the Wolf Children, but I knew I was adopted because they were always telling me stories about my parents.”  _ But never about me _ , Enna thought bitterly.  _ They never mentioned me. _ She knew that that wasn’t fair because everyone had thought she was dead until she’d tried to kill Connor, but the soft anger remained. “And they took care of me until I was six.”

Enna sensed that that wasn’t the end of the story. “And?” she pressed. “What happened?”

She looked down. “The cave we lived in collapsed on me one night. And I…Wolf Children, they can’t de-transform at night, but I shifted back into my human form so I could have more room to breathe. They took me to a hospital, a human hospital, and I got identified as an Infran and was sent to the manor where all the other Infrans were. Artricia and Larsen never tried to fight for me. They couldn’t, because of the rules of Infrans being kept separate from their parents and family during their training and all that, but it still hurt me. And I couldn’t transform until recently, during a fight with Glothic.”

Glothic. Everything always came back to him. He'd separated them, turning her into a monster while Hatten struggled with her powers for years. “You got past it,” she said simply. She wouldn't apologize for something she had no control over. “That's what matters.”

There was a moment of silence before Hatten spoke again. “I talked with Nyasha Diacode—the previous Infran of Life—in a dream and she told me a lot about Glothic. How he pushed people away and self-destructed. And sometimes I wonder if that could’ve been me if I’d stayed with the Wolftails but knew about my heritage as an Infran. In some ways, I’m glad that I got sent to the manor because I got to become friends with Janet and Bill and George and Flames and Connor. We became a family. But sometimes—”

“Sometimes you mourn for what could have been.”

“Yeah.” Hatten hesitated and finally turned to look at Enna. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me, but I wanted to know...how did you get your scar?” Out of reflex, her hand flew to her throat as if to check that it was still there. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

Enna contemplated telling Hatten off for prying into her past, but then decided against it. It’d be rather hypocritical since she’d done the same thing. And telling her wouldn’t hurt, not when George had seen it all play out. “I was raised as a soldier by Krios Karavan,” she said. “He was relentless and taught me how to use my powers as the Infran of Death for his own purposes. But I endured.” That wasn’t the whole story, of course. But Hatten didn’t need to know what she’d hinted at during her conversation with Flames. That wasn’t necessary.

“At the Academy of War and Peace—that’s where we trained, we just called it the Academy—on their first day, all the students are stripped of their birth name and get a number instead. On their graduation day, they’re sent to a building called Golgotha’s Womb. There’s a naming ceremony and everything, and the name you’re given, that’s your Kelva.”

Hatten nodded, showing her understanding. “Like Jamie is your birth name but Enna is your Kelva.”

“Yes.” Her throat was too tight and she cleared it, pressing onwards. “Like I said, Krios was my mentor. And when I was seven, he told me it was time for me to get my Kelva. And I was excited, because I thought that maybe...maybe he would stop pushing me so hard if I got my Kelva and became a Knight of Malus.” Vita, had she really been so naive? “He said I had to prove I wouldn’t let my emotions get the best of me. I had to let go of my emotional attachments.”

“Emotional attachments?”

Enna exhaled. “I was adopted by another woman when I was a baby, but they took me away from her when I was four. I don’t remember her name anymore.” She’d tried to remember when she’d been nine or ten but couldn’t, and she didn’t dare ask Krios or Glothic. “She gave me a little bird, and I named him Bran.” Saying his name out loud after all of these years was strange, almost like she was trespassing on something taboo. “He sang me to sleep at night and woke me up in the morning. He was—he was so tiny.” In an even tinier voice, she admitted, “I loved him.”

Hatten’s hands were over her mouth and her eyes were wet with sympathy. “What happened next?”

“The Malusi told me that to get my Kelva, the sacrifice had to be worth it. So I…” Her voice trembled. “I took him in my hands and I-I squeezed until...until I could feel the bones break. And he didn’t even move, didn’t try to fly away.” She took a moment to compose herself again. “I got my Kelva two days later. And they said it would be worth it. But it wasn’t. I hated myself for it. And I was scared of what I could become, and I...I started thinking about defecting.” She’d been such an idiot. Such a naive idiot. “I got a bag together and decided I was going to sneak out in the middle of the night during the guard rotation, and then I would run to the next village and ask for help. But Krios found me.”

Hatten moved her hands away from her mouth and clasped them together tightly. On the other side of the fire, Janet and Bill and Joseph weren’t paying attention to the moment they were having. Thankfully Enna was speaking quietly enough. “And then what?”

“I was...I was terrified. I thought he was going to kill me and I panicked, begging him not to kill me. And he told me the world was cruel and that he was doing me a favor by raising me. I said the Order would get me to safety, and he said the Order killed my parents and wouldn’t help me. And just when I thought I was going to get killed, he said he was going to give me a second chance if I behaved. And I was so scared of dying that I took it. I was on my best behavior for months after that. I thought that if I even thought about that night, he’d know and would decapitate me while I slept. So I made myself forget.” Her voice got rough. “He was going to cut my head off that night. That’s what my scar is from; he swung his sword at my neck but stopped at the last second.”

Enna took a swig of water from the bottle in her bag, trying to cast her thoughts away from those memories. She hated thinking about that, about her moment of weakness. She shouldn’t have listened. She should’ve fought him and run away. She should have slashed him across the face, given him a scar. But she hadn’t, and now everything was different. What kind of Infran of Death was she if she was scared of death?

Death in battle was one thing, she knew. That at least was a noble way to go. But she was terrified of dying in situations where she was helpless. And that day had been one of them.

“Vita, Enna,” Hatten whispered. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”

“It wasn’t your fault; you don’t have to apologize because I was naive and scared.” She sighed. “What happened happened. And Krios got flustered. I guess he thought that maybe I’d try to kill him and make a run for it again, so he announced that he wouldn’t be training me anymore now that I had my Kelva. He passed me around from mentor to mentor, but none of them had enough time. So then he put me with Jezarah, and she trained me ever since.” The last seven years had been grueling, but she’d had someone to care for and to care for her. That made all the difference in the end.

Hatten bit her lip. “I just feel bad for complaining about being abandoned when all of that happened to you.”

“Just because I had a rough childhood doesn’t make what you went through any less taxing,” Enna retorted. “And anyways…” Vita, was she really going to say it? “I’m glad I got to meet you.” It felt awkward, even if it was the truth.

The frown lines marring Hatten’s face disappeared, and a tiny smile appeared instead. “I’m glad I got to meet you too.”

Another log popped in the fire, startling the two of them out of their silence. “We ought to sleep,” Enna finally said. “Long day tomorrow.”

“Right.”

Hatten laid down on the grass, having already taken out her pillow and blankets earlier. She wrapped herself in them, lying flat on her back, and Enna did the same with her own blankets—although she put her dagger well within reach just in case. An owl hooted in the distance. Dares and Panner seemed to be heading to sleep as well.

“Night, Enna.”

Enna felt lighter than she had in a long time. “Night.”

* * *

Ally startled awake, her instincts screaming that something was wrong. The birds were just starting to chirp, and a breeze wafted through the trees. The fire had died out sometime during the night, leaving nothing but wisps of smoke trailing toward the sky. Everyone else was still sleeping but her, and she was starting to wonder if she’d just heard an animal in the woods or something. But no, that couldn’t be it. There was something up.

“Joseph,” she hissed, moving over to her friend’s side. He must have dozed off some time during the night. And where was Enna? Had she moved during the night? “Joseph, wake up!”

Joseph jerked awake so quickly that Ally wondered for half a second if he’d even been asleep at all. “What? What is it?”

“There’s something wrong,” she snapped, hating that she was unable to explain herself. Everyone around her was starting to come back into consciousness, blinking themselves awake. Flames yawned, smoke escaping from her nostrils. “I think—I think—”

“Keep on thinking, darlin’. That’ll get you real far.”

Ally almost tripped over herself getting to her feet, Joseph half a heartbeat behind her with his sword in his hand. Surrounding them were at least twenty men, each one wearing tunics with belts and hoods carrying swords or daggers. A few had quivers and bows slung over their backs. Most of the uniforms were brown or black with a white emblem on the front plate of their armor, an emblem that had haunted Ally’s dreams since the Tygani River. The Knights of Malus. They were back.

“You know your mission, soldiers,” said the head Knight with a menacing smile. “Capture the Infrans and their companion alive.”

Ally couldn’t help but feel cornered. Flames couldn’t transform without setting the forest on fire, and they were way outnumbered, not to mention still half-asleep. And Enna—where the hell was Enna? Had she disappeared? Had she defected back to the Knights? No. No, Enna wouldn’t do that. Not after they’d gotten to know each other. Besides, with Jezarah’s death she had no one to go back to.

“Ally?” Connor sounded afraid. “What do we do?”

Ally’s jaw tightened. “We fight.”

Almost as one, the Knights charged out of their hiding spots amidst the trees, swords flashing in the sun and arrows already notched in their quivers. Flames sent a blast of fire at them while Ally grabbed her and the others’ weapons, everyone moving forward to fight. Janet shot arrow after arrow at the Knights, Connor used the tricks that Enna had taught him to stab one of them in the eye with his sword, Joseph dispatched them with a terrifying ease, but more kept coming, swarming into the clearing like a pack of wolves going in for the kill.

Ally tried to keep track of everyone, tried to fight as best as she could, but she was preoccupied with the adrenaline coursing through her veins and Enna’s disappearance. Where was her sister? Had they killed her? Had they tortured her for information?

There was a sharp whistle, then, “Everyone put down your weapons!” Ally turned around, ready to say that she’d do that when hell froze over, but every word she had died in her throat when she saw that the head Knight had gotten Janet in a headlock and had his sword pressed to her throat. “Put down your weapons or I’ll slit her throat here and now.”

Janet looked terrified. Bill looked unsure of whether to cry or charge them or comply. Everyone was looking at Ally on how to reply, even Joseph, and it unnerved her. What could she do when Janet’s life was in danger? And the man clearly wasn’t bluffing: the sword had cut a bit of skin at Janet’s neck, causing blood to trickle down and stain the collar of her white shirt.

They couldn’t fight their way out of this, not without losing Janet. So Ally steeled herself and dropped her sword. “Put them down,” she ordered, her tone heavy. George and Bill did so immediately, Flames and Connor and Joseph with a little more trepidation. “You’ve got us. Now what?”

“Now comes the best part of my job, darlin’,” said the Knight with the sword at Janet’s throat. “I hope that you like bars and the color orange, because you’ll be seeing them for quite a while.”

The other Knights flocked around the remaining Infrans and Joseph, surrounding them on all sides. Two had clearly been put in charge of confiscating their weapons, which were scattered across the grass, and their backpacks were taken by another three Knights.

“Follow me,” said the Head Knight with a truly horrible smirk. “And welcome to Cavea.”

And as Ally begrudgingly followed the man with Janet’s life in his hands, she sent out a desperate plea to the universe:  _ Enna, where the hell are you? _

* * *

How in Golgotha’s name had everything gone to hell in the time that it had taken her to take a piss?

Enna had woken up before everyone else, and knew that she might as well relieve herself before everyone got up and they had to get moving on their plan to rescue Rynn Dearborn. She’d felt like something was wrong as she was walking back, and started hurrying once she heard the sounds of clashing swords and yelling. She had climbed up a tree to get a better view without actually being seen, and felt sick to her stomach once she saw the Knights of Malus taking Joseph and the Infrans away—the head Knight had his sword against Janet’s throat, which had probably been what made them surrender.

Thank Vita she’d had the foresight to take her weapons with her. The Knights had confiscated her backpack but at least she had a fighting chance to rescue the others. She was a Knight of Malus and an Assassin, taught and trained by the best, and she never left a man behind. She wasn’t about to leave Ally and Flames and Janet and Bill and Connor and George and Joseph to die. Not on her watch.

She followed the Knights and their prisoners from her position in the trees, eventually stopping once the forest abruptly came to an end about half a mile from Cavea. Though it was a political prison, Enna knew it was the most dramatically built out of all of them. It was large, made from brick and mortar, and was surrounded by barbed wire fences and guard towers and sewer tunnels. Escaping was hard enough from the inside, but now she had to break out eight people using only her wits and her weapons and her ID necklace.

Enna tried to come up with a feasible plan, but eventually came to the conclusion that escaping was actually easier than breaking in, especially since Flames could just turn into a dragon and escape with seven of them on her back. How could she sneak herself in? The sewer tunnels were a definite no and the guards watching meant that going through the barbed wire was also impossible.

Her eyes came upon the truck stopped on the side of the road about a mile from the prison—a laundry truck, based on the lettering on the side of it. It looked like the driver was sitting next to it, fixing a flat tire, and Enna forced herself to remain patient. She had to wait until the right second.

She climbed out of the tree after ten minutes had passed and pressed herself flat against the long grass, crawling inch by slow inch while the truck driver labored on his flat tire. After an indeterminable time passed by, she finally made it to the side of the road. The driver had apparently fixed it and had gotten back into the driver’s seat, ready to start the engine. Enna pulled her dagger out of her sleeve, crawled onto the road and slashed the front tire quickly before moving back and hiding in the grass, making sure to keep her head down so she would stay out of sight of his rearview mirrors.

Sure enough, the truck got about a hundred feet before the tire blew. The vehicle came to a screeching halt and the driver came out, swearing bloody murder. He yanked the doors of the back of the truck open, retrieving a new tire and the jack and not bothering to close the door behind him.

_ Jackpot! _

She said a quick prayer under her breath and then moved as quickly and as quietly as she dared, vaulting herself into the back of the truck and hiding herself in a cart full of clothes. Luckily they were clean.

She counted the minutes, stopping at thirty and holding her breath until the driver tossed the old tire and the jack back inside and slammed the door shut behind him. It was a bumpy ride to Cavea and made her a little nauseous, but she forced herself to think. Once the truck stopped, they'd carry the laundry inside. They probably wouldn't search it, but just in case someone tried once she was inside, she had her dagger and could dispose of them.

The truck stopped with a shudder, and Enna forced herself to be still. There were people talking outside and she couldn't make anything out. Suddenly, the doors flew open and Enna furrowed down further in the cart. 

Someone grabbed the handles of her cart and pushed it out of the truck, where it landed on the ground and knocked the wind out of her. “Vita, what's in here, rocks?”

“Probably just more clothes than usual,” answered another guard. “Don't be a wimp. Let's go.”

The cart (and two others, judging by the squeak of the wheels) was rolled down a rocky path and suddenly, Enna knew they were inside. She'd made it and no one suspected a thing.

“You hear about the Infrans?”

Enna forced herself to pay attention to the other guard’s reply. “Sure, I heard. Saw ‘em get carted right into the prison and into maximum security.”

The carts rolled up a hallway and down a long slope, and eventually stopped. Thank Vita, because the nausea was really starting to become a problem. The guards walked away, one muttering that he'd do it after his break.

Enna didn't pop up until she was sure they were gone, and even then she did it carefully. She found a freshly-washed guard uniform in a nearby cart and put it on, grateful that it fit her decently. She retied her hair into a high ponytail and walked out with her head held high, pushing a laundry cart. Now to find the Infrans.

She walked down hallway after hallway, passing by a few guards but otherwise no one else. Everything was relatively quiet, and she tried to come up with a new plan now that she was inside. She had to find the warden’s office—oh  _ shit.  _ Wait, that would be Glothic’s office, wouldn't it?

No matter. She would find it. And if Glothic was in there…

Well, she didn't want to think about that.

After what felt like hours of pushing around the laundry cart, she turned a corner and discovered an office at the end of a long hallway. Abandoning it right outside the door, she picked the lock with her dagger and let herself in. 

The room was small and surprisingly cozy considering the owner. The lights cast a soft glow over the room and a desk and at least three different file cabinets were shoved against a wall. The desk was a little dusty; no one had been in here for at least a couple of days. 

She had to find the keys to the cells before Glothic or someone else came back, but where the hell were they?

Her breath quickened when she saw the drawer of the file cabinet half open—the drawer where Glothic kept all of the files on the Knights of Malus. Vita, this could give her so much information on her past. Abandoning her search for the keys to Rynn Dearborn’s cell, she approached the drawer and tugged it all the way open, her head whipping around from terror as the squeak echoed in the room and down the hallway. There were about two hundred or so files stacked neatly in the drawer, all in alphabetical order by Kelva. The folder of Akali—one of the members of Argus’s squadron that she hadn't seen for a while—was at the front of the group, and the folder of someone named Zander was at the very back. Surprisingly, Enna noted, her name was nowhere to be seen. It would have to be in between Elda and Frigga’s folder, yet there was nothing. Krios Karavan probably kept Enna’s folder in Serkdan.

Disheartened, she was about to turn away when a name as familiar as her own caught her attention. Jezarah. The folder stared up at her, thick with papers and information, beckoning her to come forward. Enna didn’t bother to resist temptation and grabbed the folder, slamming the drawer shut. Upon returning to Glothic’s desk, she pressed the folder flat against the mahogany and opened it carefully, afraid that the general had set up some sort of protection around it. No. It was fine. She released a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding and looked through the papers. Mission reports, training reports, Kelva reports…

An old photograph was nestled between two papers, and Enna picked it up, holding it up to the light so she could see it better. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized the photo was of a much younger Jezarah, perhaps twenty or so years old, standing beside a woman that looked just like her—Jelani. The two of them looked happy together (Jezarah wore a grin bright enough to power Serkdan for a year) but Jelani’s eyes were wistful, as though she was already counting down the years until she could go off on a mission and abandon her big-hearted little sister forever. Old hatred boiled her blood, but Enna pushed it aside. She put the photograph in her pocket carefully and continued to flip through the folder all the way to the back.

And then there was a mission report from Glothic.

_ Name: Diana Diaz. _

_ Kelva: Jezarah. _

_ Age: 38. _

_ Next of Kin: Jelani (Stephanie Diaz). _

_ Position: Master Assassin of the Knights of Malus. _

_ Serial Number: MA-525.  _

_ Status: Alive. _

Enna hadn’t known that Jezarah’s birth name had been Diana, and she felt a little dirty for knowing. While a Kelva was everyone’s public knowledge, someone’s birth name was private information, something hardly ever revealed. Most married couples in the Knights of Malus didn't even disclose their birth names. 

They hadn't updated Jezarah’s status to deceased yet, she noted. That was odd. The Knights were usually meticulous about that sort of thing. 

_ Assassin for the past twenty years,  _ Glothic had written.  _ Handy with knives and almost all weapons. Academy hardened her. One of the highest kill rates in Kilvoskia. _ It was almost like Glothic was selling Jezarah to the highest bidder, and Enna hated it but she forced herself to keep reading.  _ Problem with empathy. _

Enna’s breath caught in her chest. Why was that in Jezarah’s file? She didn't know assassins could get written up for empathy.

_ Mission of the Malusi _ , Glothic had written, this entry more recent.  _ Assassin Enna failed to kill the Infrans and was not executed, instead taken captive by Alvoskians. No rescue mission authorized by the Gora. Master Assassin Jezarah has not stopped asking of her protégé’s status. Word cannot get out of Enna being alive lest our mission to wipe out the Infrans be at stake. Note to self—rumors of prison riots in Serkdan. Send Jezarah there. Hopefully she will be eliminated in the process. _

Glothic had sent Jezarah to the prison on purpose. He'd wanted Jezarah to die all because she'd cared about Enna. Because she hadn't stopped asking questions.

Glothic killed Jezarah.

Most people saw red when rage overtook them.

Enna saw black. She thought it was fitting—it matched her soul.

She would have demolished the file cabinet or set fire to Glothic’s office had she not spotted the key ring hanging from the hook by the door. The keys to Rynn Dearborn’s cell were probably there. Vita help her, she still had to rescue that girl and Joseph and the other Infrans. Who knew what Glothic was going to do to them if she didn’t go help?

“In the name of Golgotha I will avenge you,” she promised, the common prayer fierce on her lips. She would avenge her mentor even if it was the last thing she ever did. “Rest easy, Jezarah.”

She stormed over to the wall and yanked Rynn’s keys off the hook. She made sure that Jezarah’s file was tucked safely into her shirt before leaving Glothic’s office, head held up high as she walked down the hallway like an assassin on a mission. According to the code on the key ring, Rynn Dearborn was in solitary in Cell Block B. She tried to picture what this Rynn girl looked like—pretty and kind and funny, obviously, as Joseph had feelings for her. But none of those characteristics would help her find the girl, as that entire cell block was filled with solitary cells.

“You!” One of the guards jumped half a foot in the air as Enna made her way over to him, her rage at Glothic’s involvement in Jezarah’s death bubbling to the surface and darkening her expression. “That’s right, soldier, straighten up. You have five seconds to tell me where Rynn Dearborn is being kept. I’ve been ordered to move her.”

The other guard by his side scoffed. He was much older than his counterpart, mid-forties compared to early twenties. “Or else what? What’s your serial number? Whose orders are you operating on?”

Enna flashed him the Knights of Malus ID tag that she wore around her neck as a necklace. Jezarah had given the chain to her on her twelfth birthday. “Assassin Enna of the Knights of Malus, serial number IB-454.” She hoped to Vita that since Glothic hadn’t written down the change in Jezarah’s status the guards didn’t know. “I’m operating on the orders of Master Assassin Jezarah, serial number MA-525, and she will not be pleased if her orders go unfulfilled.”

The older guard looked like he’d rather be on the receiving end of a root canal.  _ Hail, glory and hallelujah for Jezarah’s reputation _ . “Oh! Well, um, if it’s on Master Assassin Jezarah’s orders then far be it from me to stop you. Um, ma’am. Please, uh, right this way—Rohan, move over!”

“Yessir.” Rohan quickly shifted over, pointing down the block. “She’s in the fourth cell on the right, Assassin Enna. Please, go ahead...and, uh, please don’t report us.”

“Not today, Soldier Rohan, not today.”

Marching down the hallway quickly brought her to the cell of Rynn Dearborn, and she fumbled with the key ring for a bit before finding the key to the fourth cell. She unlocked the door, moved into the room and closed the door behind her.

Rynn Dearborn sat up straight at the sound of the door, her pink hair—pink, really?—tousled slightly. Her face was haggard, as though she hadn’t slept in weeks, and her arms were scarred. She wore an orange prisoner's uniform that clashed horribly with her eyes and hair. She stared at Enna like she was looking at a specter. “Ally? Is that you?”

Out of all the possible scenarios that Enna had envisioned, this had not been one of them—even though it was obvious now that Rynn would mistake Enna for her identical twin sister. “No,” she said, slightly apologetic. “My name’s Enna, I’m here to rescue you and the others. Can you stand?”

“Can I—yes, but what—the others? What others?” Rynn struggled to her feet. “Who are you? Why—why do you look like Ally Hatten?”

“I’m her sister, her twin sister.” Vita, she hated dealing with people who couldn’t get the point but then again, the girl had been trapped in solitary confinement for who knew how long. She got a pass for now. “I was raised by the Kilvoskians and—look, it's complicated. I'll explain later but we don't have time for this. The others are in trouble. We have to get them and get the hell out of here. Can you walk?”

“Yes,” said Rynn. She staggered over to Enna’s side, and Enna was impressed with the woman’s stamina. “Where are they? Who is all here?”

“The other Infrans and Joseph Dreary.” Rynn noticeably perked up at the last name and Enna ignored it. “They're being held upstairs. Here's the plan. I'm going to act like I'm transferring you upstairs. Then we incapacitate the guards and get down to the yard. Flames can transform into a dragon and we’ll all escape. Does that make sense?”

“Yes, but I don't have a weapon.”

Enna unsheathed her dagger and picked the lock on Rynn’s handcuffs. Once they were undone and lying in a heap on the floor, she handed the dagger to Rynn. “You do now.” Rynn held it like a professional. While Enna was better with a dagger she could make do without it. “Stay quiet and follow me.”

The two of them walked down the hall and up the stairs, Enna behind Rynn. No one stopped them—apparently those two guards had spread the word that Enna was not to be messed with. Rynn’s legs shook but she kept walking. Enna’s estimation of the woman grew by the second.

Finally, they reached the cell of the Infrans—an honest to Vita cell with bars and a dirty floor and everything. “I can't believe it,” Enna said. All of their heads shot up at once. “After all of your plans, here I am rescuing you.”

“Enna!” Ally shot to her feet, hands clutching the bars of the cell. “Thank Vita you're alright. Did they—how in the world did you get here?”

“Walked right through the door.” Ally looked shellshocked, as did the others. “I'll explain later.” With hardly any effort, she took back the dagger from Rynn and picked the lock on the door. Within a minute, all of them were out.

Flames was the first one out of the cell, and she threw her arms around Enna. “Thanks for rescuing us,” she said, her voice breathy and close to Enna’s ear before she pulled away. “I'm glad you're okay.”

“Me too.” Enna hoped that she wasn't blushing as much as she thought she was. “I mean, I'm glad  _ you're  _ okay, not—never mind.”

While George, Connor, Ally, Janet, and Bill surrounded Enna and asked her how she'd managed to escape, Joseph walked out of the cell like he was in a dream, eyes never leaving Rynn. “Rynn,” he whispered, his voice choked. Tears entered the corners of his eyes. “Rynn, I…”

He didn't get to finish his sentence; Rynn was on top of him in a heartbeat, arms tight around him like he was the only thing tying her down to the earth. “Joseph, I can't…” She didn't seem like she would pull away from him any time soon. “I can't believe you came back for me.”

“Rynn, listen to me.” He touched her face gently with one hand, which she took. “I will  _ always _ come back for you.”

Rynn cupped his face in her hands and kissed him like they were the only ones in the world.

Enna felt bad for invading on what should have been a private moment, but she had to in order to save their skins. “Sorry to interrupt this,” she said after a moment, popping the good mood like a soap bubble. “But we need to get out of here. Is everyone alright?”

“We’re fine,” Connor said, who had gotten a bloody nose from his altercation with the Knights of Malus. “They took our weapons, though.”

Enna cursed. Vita, of course they had.  _ Idiot _ . “Then we’ll fight our way out of here without them,” she said firmly. “Here's the plan—”

“I'll pretend to be Enna and walk out of here with you guys,” Ally replied. “If someone questions us, I'll transform and we can fight our way out of here with our fists. Enna can take Joseph and Rynn and get our weapons. We’ll all meet outside and Flames can fly us out of here.”

Enna blinked. Not exactly what she'd had in mind, but Ally’s strategy was good and sound. No Kilvoskian in their right mind would go head to head with a damn lion. “Right,” she said. “What she said.”

Janet helped Ally tie her hair back into a tight braid, and Enna was slightly creeped out. It was like looking in a mirror—minus the eyes. Hopefully none of the guards would look too closely.

“What about Enna’s ID?” Connor asked. “They might stop you if you don't have it.”

“Not if you don't talk to them or make eye contact,” said Enna. “If they ask, my serial number is IB-454 and you're operating on the orders of Master Assassin Jezarah, serial number MA-525. Only answer if asked.”

Ally nodded, committing the numbers and advice to memory. “Good luck, Enna.”

“You too.” For the first time, Enna had the inexplicable urge to hug the girl—her sister, her twin sister—but she forced it down. Not the time. She watched Ally lead the other Infrans down the hall and out of the cell block before turning back to Rynn and Joseph. “Miss Dearborn, Lieutenant Dreary, follow me.”

* * *

Ally couldn’t believe that this was happening. She’d thought for sure that this was it, that they were going to die in Cavea without rescuing Rynn or knowing where Enna had disappeared to. Just as she and the others had started to plan some way of escape (Connor’s idea of crawling through the vents had been vetoed as the vents were too small for even George to fit into), Enna had appeared with Rynn at her side and freed them. Now they had a plan—their mission would succeed after all. They could do this.

She led Flames, Janet, Bill, George and Connor down the hall and out of the cell block, her head held up high as she tried her best to look like a Knight of Malus on a mission. The guards cast her a few odd looks (understandable, because no matter how much she looked like Enna she didn’t have the same bearing as her) but left her alone.

“We might actually be able to do this,” Connor said out of the corner of his mouth. “The exit is one floor down.”

Ally didn’t bother mentioning the fact that they’d been blindfolded upon entering the prison. Connor’s instincts had never been wrong, so if his gut said that the exit was one floor down, then it was one floor down. They just had to get out into the yard and Enna would meet them there.

“You! Stop right there!”

Ally froze in her tracks, causing the others to stop as well. She could smell smoke, which meant that Flames was getting nervous, and she saw Janet take Bill’s hand in hers and squeeze. Ally turned to the guard that had stopped her and was about to smile disarmingly before remembering that she was supposed to be  _ Enna _ , and she raised an eyebrow instead. “Dare I ask why you’ve stopped me, Soldier?” she asked coldly, channeling her inner Enna. “I’m in a hurry to transport the Infrans to another prison.”

“On whose orders?” the guard snapped, looking thoroughly furious. “What’s your serial number, anyway?”

“A-Assassin Enna, serial number IB-454. I’m operating on the orders of Master Assassin Jezarah, serial number MA-525—”

The guard ignored her, and her heart skipped a beat. “Take the Infrans back to their cell immediately, haven’t you heard the news? General Glothic is arriving any minute to escort the Infrans to Serkdan himself in order to answer for the crimes they committed there.”

Ally’s mind was racing faster than her heart. Glothic was here? She hadn’t seen the Infran of Blood since their encounter in the Forest of Cloryn, where she’d finally been able to transform to protect Flames. Vita, this couldn’t be happening, their plan couldn’t be foiled now. They’d have to get out of here before Glothic could imprison them or kill them. She wouldn’t put either past him.

“Well?” The guard gave her a hard shove, and only her reflexes kept her from careening backwards into George. “Get a move on, stupid girl!”

Ally nodded at Bill, who took a small step backwards. Flames and Janet and Connor and George did the same. “You know,” she said, reaching deep into herself, “I don’t think so.”

The roar of her lion form and the guard’s panicked shout could be heard from two floors up.

* * *

 

Enna knew she was running out of time. Vita only knew if Ally and Flames and the others had made it out of the prison undetected, and here she was rummaging through shelf after shelf of weapons trying to find something for everyone to use. Joseph had Janet’s bow and quiver full of arrows slung over his shoulder, and Rynn had Enna’s dagger and Ally, George, and Connor’s swords. Flames’s twin knives, Joseph’s sword, Bill’s water-skin and their backpacks were nowhere to be found, and Enna could only assume that they’d been confiscated and taken to another office.

The two guards that Enna and Joseph had knocked out were beginning to stir in the corner of the room, but Rynn knocked them out again with the butt of Connor’s sword. “We ought to go,” she said quickly, stuffing the sword back into its scabbard. “Enna, Joseph, come on. What are we waiting for?”

Enna was about to reply when all of a sudden a faint roar echoed down the hallways like it was coming from a thousand miles away. She couldn’t understand why someone was  _ roaring _ in a damn political prison but then it struck her like a brick to the head—that had to be Ally, and if Ally had transformed that meant that she and the others were in trouble. “Nothing now,” she said. The search for the missing weapons would have to be discontinued. “Grab your weapons, let’s move.”

As they hurried out of the weapons room (thankfully these idiots in Cavea only had the one room, if there’d been more than one or if it had been a larger one then Enna would not have known what to do), the roaring sound increased in volume and intensity. Joseph and Rynn seemed to have reached the same conclusion as Enna had, which was probably why Rynn was running almost as fast as Joseph despite her weakness from being imprisoned for so long.

“I thought you said they wouldn’t attack if Ally had your ID!”

“Then I was wrong,” Enna snapped at Joseph as they rounded a corner. “And anyway, the Infrans wouldn’t fight unless they had a damn good reason to.”

When they found the Infrans, Enna decided that whatever reason Ally had decided to transform had  _ better _ been a good one. The Infrans were outnumbered six to twelve and were barely holding their ground. Bill had managed to steal a water-skin from one of the guards and had created an ice dagger to fight with, Flames used her fire powers and her fists, and Ally had transformed, but Janet, George and Connor had nothing to use but themselves, and that strategy didn’t appear to be working.

“Janet!”

Surprised, Janet looked up just in time to catch the bow and quiver that Joseph tossed her way. Notching the arrow loosely in the bow, she grinned her thanks at the lieutenant before joining the fight. George and Connor grabbed their swords from Rynn, and the three of them leapt back into the fight with a new sort of intensity, furiously hacking and jabbing at the soldiers.

Enna ducked under a soldier’s arm and stabbed upward with a knife she’d found in the weapons room; the soldier fell with a blood-choked shriek, clutching their chest, and Enna went onward to find Ally.

“About time you showed up,” the Infran of Life growled. She was covered in a sheen of sweat, and her fur and fangs had faded away. Enna tossed Ally her sword, which she took with a grateful smile. “Thought we’d have to fight everyone ourselves.”

“Not hardly.” Enna’s kick sent a guard flying backwards into Joseph’s sword. “I wasn’t about to leave you to do it alone.”

“Thanks.”

Five minutes and ten guards later, Enna led Joseph, Rynn, and the Infrans out of the hallway and down the stairs, heading toward the doors. Alarms blared and echoed against the walls—someone had clearly wised up to Enna’s ruse and noticed that the Infrans had vanished from their cell—but Enna didn’t dare stop. 

Ally, apparently, had other ideas, and she grabbed Enna’s arm and forced her to a halt. “Why are you going this way?”

Had she hit her head? “Because the exit’s this way, that’s why, and we should get out of here before they send more guards!”

“We can't go out the exit!”

“Are you joking?” Enna did  _ not _ have time for this. Flames and Rynn and Joseph and the others had come to a stop, although the Infrans looked like they understand Ally’s line of thinking more so than Enna, Rynn, and Joseph did. “Why can't we?”

“Because Glothic will be here any minute!” Ally snapped. “One of the guards let it slip and we need to get out of here from a place that isn't so obvious!”

Enna’s entire soul released a barrage of curse words that could've killed Golgotha. “ _ Shit _ ,” she said empathetically, and she worked desperately to come up with another plan. She'd studied the blueprints of Cavea before, and now that the exits and the front door were all taken, was there any place left for her to go? “The courtyard. We'll have to go through there.”

“It's going to be packed with prisoners now,” Connor said, a crease forming between his eyebrows. “Are you sure about this?”

“Not really,” Enna admitted. “But it's not like we have much other choice.”

Rynn made the decision for all of them. “Let’s go,” she said. “I know the way.”

They followed her through two different hallways and down another flight of stairs before they reached a set of doors with the word  _ COURTYARD _ emblazoned over them in black. Sunlight streamed through the barred windows, and contrary to Connor’s belief that it would be packed with prisoners, it was empty. Enna supposed that the guards had ordered all of the prisoners to be shoved back in their cells at the first hint of a breakout.

Rynn and Joseph dispatched two of the guards standing at the doors while Enna grabbed the third, knocking her out and ripping a key ring from her belt. She handed it to Bill, who always had good luck with finding the right objects, and he found the right key on his first try. Unlocking the doors, the nine of them raced outside into the sunny afternoon, a gentle breeze blowing through the air.

Flames stretched, arms up over her head, and Enna tried not to stare when she turned into a dragon. Her smooth dark skin transformed into glistening scarlet scales, her face shifting into one with strong cheekbones, scaly ridges over the eyes, which were still as golden as ever. Her hair shrank back into her skull as the bones elongated, and she had a large rounded snout, smoke trailing out of her nostrils. Her limbs were long and garish as they came to rest on the ground; thick, shining talons curling out of each toe. Leathery wings arched out of her back, small spikes trailing don from her head to the tip of the long sweeping tail. She looked powerful, and yet still as beautiful as she’d been in her human form.

Vita, she needed to get a grip. Enna shook her head to release herself from her trance.

“We don’t have time to make a makeshift saddle,” Ally was saying. “Everyone’s going to have to ride bareback, just like we trained.” To Enna, she said, “Just hold onto me. I won’t let you fall.”

Enna had no doubt. “I’ll hold you to that,” she said dryly, and the laugh she got in return should  _ not  _ have made her feel so warm inside.

Rynn and Joseph climbed on first, the latter supporting the former, followed by Connor, Bill, George, and Janet, who still had her stolen bow and quiver slung over her back. Ally grabbed onto one of Flames’s spikes and pulled herself on the dragon’s back, grunting from the effort. Just as Enna was about to do the same, the doors to the courtyard slammed open. She whirled around to face her opponent and her blood froze in her veins at the sight.

Specter-pale skin pulled tight over sharp cheekbones. Sunken, cold eyes. A mane of shaggy brown hair. White tunic. The remains of bloodstains on the edge of his mouth. Lips parting to reveal crooked teeth. “Hello, Enna.”

Enna stood her ground even though it felt like all of the air in the world had disappeared. “Hello, Glothic.”

There was no noise but the wind whistling through the cobblestone courtyard and the barbed wire fences. No one seemed sure of what to do. It had been ages since Enna had seen the general—not since she’d left on her mission and got her world turned upside down. She had looked up to him as a mentor once. She had made jokes with Jezarah about him. He had been such an integral part of her life, pre-Kelva and post-Kelva. And now here they were, together again.

“Ally.” Luckily she sounded steadier than she felt. “Get out of here.”

“What?” Ally didn’t sound steady; she sounded angry and a little terrified. “Enna,  _ no _ —”

“This isn’t your fight.” By Golgotha’s name, why didn’t Ally understand that Enna was doing this to protect her? “Get out of here while you still can. I’ll be okay.”

There was a very pregnant pause, but before Enna could try to reassure her sister again, Ally let out an exhale that sounded physically painful. “Go on,” she said quietly. “She’ll be okay.”

A gust of wind nearly bowled Enna over—a gust of wind that Enna assumed meant that Flames had flown Joseph, Rynn, and the Infrans out of the courtyard and away from danger. Relieved as one about to face death could be, she refocused all of her attention on the Infran of Blood.

“Krios Karavan sends his regards,” Glothic said, sounding as casual as if they’d run into each other on a packed street. “However much he doubted that his weapon would succeed in killing off the Infrans, I’m sure he never thought that you would have gone soft and befriended them.”

“I’m no one’s weapon.” Her muscles tensed and her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened. “And what I do with my life is none of his business.”

“Well now,” he said, still casual, still calm, eyebrows raised, “that’s certainly a far cry from the scared seven year old you once were.” The wolfish smile he shot at her made him look like he wasn’t even human. Like the monster he was. “You’re still scared now, of course. You just hide it better.”

Enna wasn’t going to contest that, even though the desire to do so  _ burned _ . “I’m better than you,  _ General _ ,” she said instead, a conversation with Ally coming back to her. “I might be scared, but at least I reached out to others instead of closing myself off and feeling sorry for myself.”

Clearly her words struck a nerve, because he lunged forward. “You know  _ nothing _ of what I went through,” he snarled. “You don’t know how it felt to have the entire world against me. You don’t know my anger. You don’t know how alone I was.” Then his snarl changed into a sneer, fresh and horrible like an open wound. “Perhaps you can ask your mentor someday how it felt to die alone.”

Anger flared up in her like a brush fire, and Enna hurled the dagger she’d been keeping up her sleeve at Glothic, who dodged it easily. It lodged itself in the wood of the door with a thud. “Don’t ever speak of Jezarah again!” She was amazed and yet not amazed at the fury welling up inside of her. “I know what you did to her. I know you sent her to die!”

“Jezarah deserved what she got.” They were circling each other now, swords in hand, each waiting for the right moment. “She corrupted you, Enna. She taught you to be  _ weak _ .”

“Nothing Jezarah ever taught me was as bad as what you did to me.” She felt her anger leave her, leaving nothing but old grief and pain. “You’ve lied to me all my life. You never told me that you killed my parents. You never told me that I had a twin sister, that my twin sister was the damn  _ Infran of Life _ , and you let the Malusi send me on a mission that both of you thought I wouldn’t come back from. How could you do that?”

“We always had your best interests at heart, Enna,” he answered smoothly. That bastard didn’t even look affected by her words. “You were—you  _ are _ one of our greatest assassins. Why are you letting your emotions get the best of you now?”

Many answers came to mind. Jezarah’s lessons. Ally’s hugs. Janet’s warmth. Bill’s jokes. George’s card games. Connor’s newfound bravery. Joseph’s patience. Flames’s smile. “Because now I know that emotions aren’t a weakness. They’re a strength.” She got into ready position, her sword an automatic extension of her body. “And I’m never going back to the person I used to be.”

“I’m sorry you feel this way.”

There was no going back now. “I’m not.”

Glothic  _ pounced _ , and Enna barely had time to bring up her sword to block his move, otherwise she would have gotten her head cut off her shoulders. She ducked underneath his blade and cut upwards, only to nearly fall as he spun around and jabbed at her stomach. Their swords clashed and clattered against each other, sparks flying from the colliding blades. He tried to land a front kick and she rotated her body out of reach, shifting her momentum effortlessly thanks to the thousands of hours she’d trained with him and Krios and Jezarah. She knew most of his moves and he knew most of hers.

He added a second kick to the combination and she swerved again, bringing her other arm parallel with his striking leg. Her hand came down in a chopping motion to block his attack, and she spun him around so that his back was facing her, and then she kicked his knees out from under him.

Glothic exploded from the ground as if he’d lost none of his energy, and he thrust his sword at her, a move that she blocked with considerable effort. He swiped at her throat and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, shoving her backwards like she’d been hit by a train. She fell to the ground and rolled out of the way a heartbeat before Glothic’s sword stabbed down at her last location, and she jumped to her feet and stabbed upwards at him again.

His knee collided with her gut and sent her several steps backwards, but she lunged forward immediately, the desire to take him down once and for all heightening her senses. She parried and he thrusted. His blade cut off a chunk of her braid, and she managed to swipe the inside of his wrist with her sword. Usually in training they fought to first blood, but Enna wasn’t stupid enough to think that it would end there. This was to the death.

The thought of Jezarah dying alone in the prison riot caused anger to erupt inside of her again, giving her a reason to continue the fight when her muscles were screaming for her to rest. Enna fought to get her sword through Glothic’s defenses.

She didn't recognize Glothic’s feint until she saw his sword arcing toward her neck, and by then there wasn't enough time to bring her own sword into a parrying position. Enna jerked backwards and brought up her other arm to create distance between herself and Glothic.

Her arm never made contact with him. Instead, she felt a burning pain in her side that could only indicate that Glothic’s blade had impaled her, and when he withdrew it she barely held back a scream of pain.  It was as though cold medicine had been injected into her veins, and she panicked, unable to move, unable to do anything but collapse to the ground in agony.

When she saw blood mixed with green on his blade, it all made sense. Poison. Another poison blade. The same sword used to kill Jezarah would be her downfall now.

“I’m glad you recognize the irony of this,” Glothic said, reading her thoughts. Or maybe she’d said it out loud. She didn’t know. The poison and blood loss was making her mind swirl. “Maybe they’ll put up a statue for me now: the Infran who killed his own.”

Enna spat in his face and brought her sword up again, only to have it knocked out of her hand easily. Her breath quickened but she couldn’t do anything. Not with the poison coursing through her veins. “You’re a monster,” she snarled. Her voice was strangled and hoarse.

“You flatter me,” he said. “But I am only a man.” The tip of his sword was at her throat. “Any last words?”

Just as Enna channeled all of her remaining energy to fight back one last time (because by Golgotha if she was going down then she was going to go down swinging), something whistled through the air and Glothic howled in pain, an arrow suddenly embedded in his shoulder. He staggered backward, sword rising to fight an unseen enemy, and a plume of fire shot toward him, which he narrowly dodged.

Enna propped herself up on her elbows just in time to see a dragon swoop down on the courtyard, Ally hanging off one of Flames’s spikes with her arm outstretched. In the split second that it took for Flames to land, Ally leapt off the dragon’s back and pulled Enna to her feet. Joseph and Bill pulled the two of them onto Flames’s back, and Flames took off again, the gusts of wind from her wings knocking Glothic onto the ground.

There were murmurs all around her, but Enna couldn’t make out any individual words. Her vision was cloudy, and her side was bloody and numb. Her sword had been lost in the courtyard, just like her life nearly had been.

They’d saved her. They’d come back for her.

“Don’t do this, Enna, wake up!” Ally. Ally’s voice. Enna struggled to open her eyes—when had they closed?—and Ally’s terrified expression came into focus, although the terror faded slightly once Ally realized that Enna wasn’t dead. “Enna, what happened? What did he do to you?”

Enna didn’t have much strength left, but she managed to speak anyway. “Got…stabbed.” It came out breathy and soft. “Poison blade. Like J-Jezarah.” She heard someone—Rynn, maybe—ask who Jezarah was, but she didn’t dignify that with an answer. “Gonna die.”

“No! No, Enna, you can’t die, not now.” Ally sounded close to tears. “Not when I just got to know you.”

“Gotta get the p-poison out…” When did making words become so complicated? She had to get this out, though. Had to tell Ally what to do. “Or m’gonna die.”

“Bill!” Ally’s head whipped around to face her cousin; Enna could barely make him out from where she was half-sitting half-lying down. “Bill, you have to heal her!”

“I don’t know how to heal poisoned wounds, Ally.” Bill sounded as scared as Ally looked. “And even if I did, there’s no way we could get the poison out while we’re thousands of feet off the ground. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m not letting my sister die!” Ally’s voice cracked on the last word, and a couple of tears splashed onto Enna’s face. Enna didn’t know if they were Ally’s or her own but didn’t ask. “There has to be something we can do.”

“We’d have to land,” Janet said quietly, clearly deep in thought. “Joseph, where’s the closest allied territory?”

It only took a few seconds for the man to reply. “The Forests of Conan,” he answered, and judging by Ally’s sharp inhale it wasn’t the response that she’d been looking for. “Ally, I know that it isn’t—”

“No. It doesn’t matter. I’m not going to risk Enna’s life because of my relationship with the Wolftails.” The Wolftails. The family that had abandoned Ally. “And the Wolf Children are good healers. They can help her.”

On the edge of her world, Enna heard George tell Flames to set course for the Forests of Conan, but she was more focused on the blood staining her shirt. So much blood. “Ally,” she rasped, and Ally’s head snapped back to Enna. Her hand shook as she extracted Jelani and Jezarah’s photograph from her pocket and handed it to Ally, who took it like it was a long-lost treasure. “Don’t get blood on the picture. S’all I have left of her.”

Ally sniffled. “I’ll keep it safe,” she promised. It was stupid how much Enna relaxed knowing that her sister meant it. “You have to hold on, okay? Just hold on. You’re going to be fine.”

Enna nodded once, exhaustion overtaking her, and everything went dark.

* * *

They landed in the Forests of Conan about ten minutes after Enna had passed out, Flames flying at such a breakneck speed that Ally had nearly fallen off three times. Enna was still alive, but she wasn’t doing well. Her breaths were short and quick, her pale skin was now tinged with green, and she kept muttering words under her breath that Ally couldn’t quite make out.

Joseph and Rynn carried Enna off Flames’s back, and when Flames transformed back into a human she looked as exhausted and terrified as Ally felt. “Is she going to be okay?” she demanded upon seeing Enna cradled in Joseph’s arms, her head lolling. “Ally, what if the Wolf Children don’t let us in?”

Ally didn’t want to think about that. “They will,” she said firmly.  _ Otherwise I’ll make them. _ “Come on.”

They walked quickly, hands in their coat pockets to shield them from the cold of the incoming evening. Ally kept glancing back at Joseph and Enna, who looked worse than she had in the air, and prayed that the wolves were nearby. The reputation Janet had gained during their time with Ylva’s pack would help them get in, but what if the wolves couldn’t help Enna? She didn’t want to lose the sister she’d just gained. Not now. Not so soon. 

A pair of gleaming yellow eyes appeared in the bushes, and Ally froze, nerves and relief churning in her gut. The wolves emerged, shoulders hunched and ready to pounce. They were as large as Ally remembered, almost the size of bears, with coats of differing colors: roan and copper and cream, each coat smooth and sleek. She straightened, feeling Joseph and Rynn and the others doing the same.

One of them, a wolf with a grey coat, spoke before she could. “We do not tolerate trespassers,” he said, his voice mostly a snarl. “State your presence at once.”

“We do not mean you any disrespect,” Ally said, not daring to make eye contact. This all hinged on her now. “We seek refuge and assistance. My sister was injured badly in a duel and we need your help.”

“And what makes you think that we will provide help?” the grey wolf asked. Ally wished that she could remember who he was. Another wolf moved forward as he kept speaking. “You dare to—”

“Ally Hatten?” Her heart skipped a beat because she  _ recognized  _ that voice, she did. She hadn’t spoken to its owner in years. “Ally, is that you?”

“Titus.” She prayed her voice wasn’t shaking. Among these wolves, she sensed that Titus was the highest ranking, and if she could convince her old friend for help, then maybe Enna would get the help she needed. “It’s good to see you.”

“You too,” they replied. “What happened?”

“My sister was injured in a duel against Glothic Geisa—the Infran of Blood.” The name rippled through the group, causing the wolves to grumble to each other. “She was poisoned and we thought...since the Wolf Children are the best healers, we thought we would try to go to Conan for help.”

Titus appeared as though they were considering it. Behind them, the wolves were shifting, and Ally saw out of the corner of her eye that Enna wasn’t twitching as much anymore. They were really running out of time. “We’ll take you to the Council,” they finally said. “Our Alpha is away at the moment with a hunting party and should return in a week.” She felt a twinge of disappointment for having missed Esdel. “Our highest ranking Beta, Eyle Beowulf, will determine our next course of action.”

“Sigma Titus, you cannot—”

“Are you questioning my decision, Zeta?” The grey wolf did not respond, only clenching his jaw.  _ Thank Vita that Titus is a Sigma. Now the others have to listen to them _ . “We will take them to Beta Eyle. She will decide.”

“Thank you,” Janet said. Ally’s churning stomach prevented her from speaking. “We owe you a great debt.”

Titus did a double take upon seeing Janet, and they immediately sank into the best bow their wolf form allowed them to give. “The Lady of Light,” they murmured, and the other wolves in the group quickly followed suit. “We are honored to have you here as well. We’ve heard so much of you from Alpha Ylva.”

“Oh.” Janet blushed. Rynn looked confused but didn't say anything. “Thank you.”

Titus nodded in return, and then rose from their bow, looking to the other wolves. “Let’s go.”

The moon began to rise, and the wolves did the same, rising from their paws to their feet, fur melting into skin, wolf forms becoming human. Despite the approaching spring, the wolves wore leather boots and heavy fur pelts. Titus’s hair swung back and forth in a long ponytail, and circular constellations formed on their elbows. The majority of the wolves had constellations of white inked onto their skin, aligned with the freckles scattered across their bodies. The paler werewolves had phases of the moon tattooed along their spines in black ink, shown through gaps in their fur pelts.

They approached the base of the mountain, hundreds of caves dotting the rock. Stone huts were scattered across the valley, flickers of flame in the windows. Ally could hear the occasional howl from far away, from the hunters still out in the woods. Finally, they reached the largest stone hut, and Titus knocked on the door.

“Enter,” a voice called, and Titus did, gesturing for Ally and the others to follow.

Inside was small and comfortably furnished, and a woman looked up from where she’d been tending the fire. Eyle Beowulf was much older than Ally remembered, yet the old wisdom and sharpness in her eyes was still there. “Sigma Titus.”

“Beta Eyle,” they replied, inclining their head out of respect. “The Infrans of Alvoskia seek our help. Miss Hatten’s sister was hurt in a duel against the Infran of Blood—he used a poison blade, I think.” Ally nodded numbly. “I await your decision on what to do.”

Eyle’s eyes flitted from Titus to the Infrans to Enna, who was listless in Joseph’s arms, barely breathing. “Bring her forward,” she said quietly. “I will see what I can do.” Relief hit Ally so hard that her eyes started watering. Joseph hastily did what Eyle asked, setting Enna down gently on the wooden table next to the fire pit. “You are lucky I have not yet retired from the Council,” she warned Titus, who had moved to stand next to Ally. “Alpha Noxyn would not have approved of this.”

“I know,” Titus said. It felt like the world had been kicked out from under her. Noxyn was the Alpha now? What had happened to Esdel? Why had the Wolf Children and the Council let this happen?

“Thank you, Beta Eyle,” Ally said instead. She'd ask Titus later. “We owe you a great debt.”

“Let it only go into effect if your sister survives,” was the response, and Eyle set to work, flying to the kitchen to get the necessary tools and herbs and returning almost immediately. She cut through Enna’s shirt, and the acrid smell of pus and blood and poison made Ally swallow back vomit. (George was less successful and had to duck outside.) There was a manila folder—now stained with blood—tucked into the waist of Enna’s jeans, and Eyle extracted it carefully, placing it on a nearby stool, and stared at Enna’s wound for a while.

It was long and deep, blood and green-tinged pus oozing from it. The skin around it was inflamed already. Ally couldn't understand how and why Enna had held on for so long. 

“Which of you is the Infran of Water?”

Bill jumped. “Me.”

“Come forward, pup.” Bill moved forward, standing next to Eyle. “I need you to get the poison out while I clean the wound.”

“What? I can't—I don't—”

“I have met your predecessor, Terra Stone, and she was able to do it. She told me it felt like using the water to grab things instead of just waving it around.” Eyle sounded and looked impatient. “There is no other option. I do not have enough time to clean the wound and get out the poison myself. You must do this.”

“I…” Bill looked from Enna to Eyle, and his jaw set. “Alright,” he finally said. “I-I’ll try.”

Eyle gave him a full water-skin, and Bill opened it, experimentally using the water and letting it pool around his fingers. He let the water hover above the water-skin, forming it into the size of a baseball, and lowered it above Enna’s injury.

“Grab the poison with the water when I say,” Eyle instructed him. “Do not let it touch any open cuts of yours.”

Ally’s heart lodged in her throat as Bill slowly lowered the ball of water into Enna’s wound, grimacing slightly. He used the water to scoop the green poison out of the injury, keeping it in one side of the water ball, well away from the open cuts on his hands. Next to him, Eyle worked furiously to stop the infection, slathering the corners of the wound with a sort of anti-inflammatory cream, using a pair of sterile tweezers to get out a small shard of metal that had come out of Glothic’s sword when he'd stabbed her. Enna would probably want to keep that as a souvenir.

“What should I do with the poison?” Bill asked.

“Put it back in the water-skin,” Eyle answered, tone heavy with concentration. “And then in the morning we will dispose of it.”

Rynn, Joseph, and the Infrans watched with bated breath as Bill did as Eyle said, Flames letting out a visible breath of relief (literally, as some smoke had escaped her nostrils) when Bill screwed the top back on.

Eyle kept working, only leaving Enna’s side once to get bandages. She wrapped the wound swiftly and carefully, and finally stepped back to admire her handiwork.

Flames, apparently, couldn't stay silent any longer. “Well?” she demanded. “Is Enna going to be okay?”

“The worst of it is over,” Eyle admitted, not looking up. “But that doesn't mean the parts that will follow are any less hard.”

Ally didn't like the sound of that. “What do you mean, Beta Eyle?”

“The wound is still dangerous. She's already suffering from a high fever.” Sure enough, Ally could already see the beads of sweat forming on Enna’s forehead. “She needs to be kept cool and calm. The hallucinations will be—”

“Hallucinations?”

“This poison is not one made by nature,” Eyle snapped, irritation leaking through and making Ally shrink back. “It is human-made, created by the Kilvoskians. It was designed to make its target suffer from the poison coursing through their veins, and if the poison was removed, then hallucinations and a fever high enough to cook their brain would be their end.”

Bile burned Ally’s throat. “Can she—will she make it though?”

“I have only seen two cases before your sister, Omega Ally, and both did not last.” Ally’s heart took refuge somewhere in her kidneys. “But it seems Enna was strong enough to outlast the poison and blood loss. If her mind is as strong as her will, then she can survive this too.” Eyle pinched the bridge of her nose. “Sigma Titus, set up a bed for this girl. It is going to be a long night.”

Titus nodded and immediately left the hut, returning less than five minutes later with an armful of thick blankets and a large pillow. Ally assisted them in making a makeshift bed for Enna near the fire while Joseph and Rynn talked to Eyle and the others spoke quietly to each other.

“I didn't know you had a sister,” Titus said under their breath. “The Wolftails always said you were an only child.”

The Wolftails. Vita, how would they react to seeing Enna after all of these years? And how would Enna react to them? Ally’s fists clenched from the old anger and the pang of abandonment, wrinkling the pillow she was holding. “I didn't know either until a little while ago,” she admitted. The pillow loosened in her grasp. “No one told me. We found each other kind of on accident.”

Titus smiled. “I'm glad you two have each other.”

Ally nodded. She wanted to ask her friend about the new changes to the pack—why Noxyn Gunnolf of all wolves was the Alpha now, what had happened to Esdel, if Felicity was still around—but knew it wasn't the right time. The questions could wait until Enna was better.

She took the photograph Enna had given her out of her pocket and unfolded it, giving it a good look. Two women stood next to each other. The one on the left had short black hair, almond-shaped eyes (which were a shade of brown so dark they looked black), a scar above her eyebrow, and wore a camouflage jacket over a gray tank top and jeans. She smiled at the camera but it was more wistful than pleased, like she wanted to be somewhere else.

The other woman looked younger, maybe twenty or twenty-one. Her black hair was long and wavy, she had no scar over her eyebrow and she was grinning mischievously at the camera, the same cat ate the canary smile that Flames had before planning a prank. Her eyes were the same shade as the left woman’s—her sister, Ally assumed. This must have been Jezarah, Enna’s mentor.

The photo was wrinkled and part of the corner was smeared with blood but Enna had asked her to hold onto it, and hold onto it she would. 

Titus returned with Enna in their arms—when had they left?—and set her down on the blankets gently. Already she was sweating and moving weakly from side to side, eyes squeezed shut and forehead wrinkled like she was trying to block out an imaginary enemy. The hallucinations and high fever were already beginning, it seemed.

Ally turned to the others, who stood by. They'd dropped their weapons by the door of the hut, and all of them looked as exhausted as Ally felt. Rynn in particular looked ready to drop where she stood. “I'll take first shift with Enna,” she finally said. “Flames, I'll wake you up in an hour.”

Like Eyle had said, they were in for a long night.


	4. The Recuperation

_Everything was burning. Enna could feel the smoke clogging her lungs, making her eyes water,  singeing her hair, burning her skin to embers and ashes. No matter which way she moved or how many times she screamed, the fire didn’t lessen. She couldn’t make it stop. She couldn’t fight it. She was alone and burning in the darkness, and there was nothing she could do._

_The ground beneath her feet began to split from the force of her next scream, which had been elicited by a wave of fire that had knocked her onto her back. Light spilled through the cracks, which shone brightly enough to make her blink rapidly. Enna tasted salt and copper in the back of her throat as she sobbed, trying desperately to get away from the heat and the burning and the smoke and please she just wanted to live, she just wanted to live—_

_She lashed out with her legs, kicking the light away from her because by Golgotha’s name that burned worse than the flames and the smoke. Enna’s elation at that actually working did not last long, as something that she couldn’t see clamped down on her legs, preventing her from kicking. She tried to do the same with her arms but was quickly pinned down as well. Fear rose like bile in her throat and she screamed, fighting as hard as she could to get free. She wasn’t going to die like this, she wasn’t, she was going to go down swinging and give this fight hell._

_Fire was everywhere, and the ground was cracking faster and faster. Enna kept screaming, yelling for help, trying her damndest to fight off the burning—would she still be alive if her skin crumbled to ash?—and then it hit her. What if it was all a trick? What if this was like those games at the Academy where the answer was not what it seemed?_

_What if the only way to fight was not fighting?_

_Slowly, Enna stopped moving, afraid of what would happen. She let the cracks approach her, let the ground split beneath her back. Her skin burned, crackling and singeing in the heat, but then suddenly she was falling, falling,_ falling—

— _and she landed flat on her back, hard enough that the wind was punched from her lungs. She’d fallen through the light. There was no burning here. Her skin was fine. She’d landed in a meadow, trees and flowers and a calm blue sky all around her. Hail, glory, and hallelujah._

 _She took a breath in carefully, sitting up._ No sense in relaxing yet, _Enna told herself._ Not til you know what’s going on.

_A bird flew by and landed on the ground near her. It was a blackbird, barely bigger than her fist, and it chirped cheerfully at her, causing her to smile. She held out her hand to it and the little bird hopped close to her, and the familiar feeling of feathers against skin caused tears to blur her vision. Thoughts of Bran filled her mind, and before she could say something to the bird, it pecked her on the hand. “Ow!” She raised her hand to her mouth and sucked on the cut. It wasn’t deep, barely a scratch, but it still hurt. “What was that for?”_

_Out of everything she’d expected the bird to do, replying hadn’t been one of them. “Birdkiller,” it chirped. “Birdkiller, birdkiller.”_

_She scrambled to her feet, terror freezing the blood in her veins. Her heart thudding against her ribs, she saw more birds appear in the trees, in the bushes, in the flowers. She was surrounded. No escape from the songbirds._

_“Look.” Enna swallowed her fear and tried to be reasonable, or as reasonable she could be in front of birds that proclaimed her to be a murderer. “I...I don’t_ — _I don’t_ — _”_

_“Birdkiller!”_

_The blackbird flew up into her face and Enna blocked her face with her arms, a shriek escaping her lips as her hand met something feathery and solid, and she opened her eyes just in time to see the bird fall into the grass. Dead._

_Oh. Oh no. She’d killed it._

_That seemed to be the cue for all of the other birds to rise up from their hiding places and fly at her, and Enna had no other choice but to run. So she did, sprinting as fast as she could in the direction of the trees, her hair in her face, oxygen filling her lungs rapidly, her muscles burning. The birds showed no sign of stopping, and Enna knew that they wouldn’t. She couldn’t climb anything or burrow to get away. They wouldn’t stop until they got her and pecked her to little bloody pieces._

_Just when she thought she’d outrun them, she skidded to a halt, pebbles flying around her feet. She’d reached a cliff, a cliff with nothing at the bottom but dirt and tumbleweed. Too far off the ground for her to land safely, and there was no place else for her to go._

_The birds came to a stop, one songbird flying to the front of the flock. Tears trickled down her cheeks because it looked so similar to Bran. “Birdkiller,” it said. But this time it didn’t sound like a curse. It just sounded like an admonishment, like it was disappointed in her._

_“I’m sorry,” Enna whispered. “I’m so sorry for killing your friend, I’m sorry for killing Bran, please—please, I don’t want to fight you.”_

_It tilted its little head, a small chirp emanating from its beak but no words this time. All of them seemed to be waiting for her to make her next move._

_She took a step backwards, dislodging more pebbles. The cliff’s edge was so close. The wind was cold against her back. She could fight her way out of this, she knew she could, but what good would that do? She didn’t want to have more deaths on her conscience. She was too much of a monster already._

_Ripples of cold undulated over her skin as she realized what she had to do. She didn’t have to fight. She didn’t have to kill anyone. Sometimes going down didn’t require a fight._

_So Enna made eye contact with the birds, said a prayer under her breath, and stepped backwards off the cliff._

_Wind whistling in her ears, she kept her gaze steadfastly upwards, still making eye contact with the birds who had flown out after her and were now staring at her in horror. Her heartbeat escalated and she gasped for breath as the air around her got thinner and thinner and then just as she thought it was the end, it all disappeared._

_Minutes, hours, days later—time was impossible to tell—she came to, lying facedown on the ground, listening to the silence. No birds, no wind. No grass, either. The surface on which she rested was hard and rubbery, like a recently-waxed floor._

_The world around her slowly solidified as she rose to her feet. Four walls, white ceiling. No furniture. She pinched herself to make sure it was real, and when the pain throbbed against her skin she still wasn't sure. This was like something out of a dream._

_“Hello?” Her voice echoed for miles, bouncing off the walls. “Is anyone here?”_

_As she walked forward, her surroundings began to change yet again. The walls turned to stone and brick, the ceiling to gray. Racks of weapons and equipment lined the sides of the room, and the floor changed beneath her feet from nothingness to rubber and training mats. She was shocked to realize that she recognized the place—how could she not when she'd trained in this arena since she’d entered the Academy. But where was everyone?_

_What was going on?_

_“Hey, kid.” She spun around to see a dark-haired woman leaning against the wall, arms crossed over her chest. Real, familiar, and whole. “Didn't think I'd see you here for a while.”_

_Enna stared at the woman for a moment, drinking her in and memorizing every detail that had been hazed and forgotten over time, like the birthmark on her arm, or the laugh lines around her almond-shaped eyes. "Jezarah.” Her voice was delicate, so close to crumbling into dust. She didn't bother to hide the tears streaming down her face._

_“It's good to see you, Enna.”_

_And Enna threw herself at Jezarah, wrapping her own arms around her friend tightly and burying her face in Jezarah’s shoulder with a sob of joy. Much to Enna’s surprise, Jezarah hugged her back just as tightly. The two of them rocked back and forth until Enna’s tears stopped and her mind cleared and she realized what was going on._

_“You're dead,” she murmured, pulling back reluctantly. “Aren't you?”_

_In response, Jezarah pulled up the side of her shirt to reveal a stab wound in her gut the size of Enna’s fist. Tinged with green pus and blood, it looked horribly fatal. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I am.”_

_“I’m so sorry.” The words were genuine and automatic. “I—wait, if I'm the Infran of Death, I can bring you back, right?” That had to be true—what would the point of an Infran of Death be if they couldn't? Enna lunged forward, making a grab for Jezarah’s hands. “I can bring you—”_

_“No.” Jezarah sounded firm, and Enna dropped the hands she held. “Trust me, hon, there are some things in life you can't fix. Even if you are an Infran.”_

_The smirk Jezarah gave her would normally make Enna smile, but now all she felt was sad and confused and a little angry. “But you didn't deserve to die, Jezarah! Y-You should get another chance—you didn't want to die.”_

_“No one does in the end,” Jezarah said. “You think anyone in this world really wants to die?” She shook her head, her hair bouncing on her shoulders. Carefree even in the afterlife. “But I've come to peace with my death. And so should you.”_

_Enna looked down at the ground, swallowing back more tears and disappointment. “Suppose I'll have plenty of time to do that,” she muttered. “Considering I'm dead too.”_

_“You aren't dead.”_

_Her head shot up. Questions bubbled in her throat but all she could say was, “What?”_

_“You aren't dead or alive, Enna. You're just…well, you're just here.”_

_Enna looked around the room, and logically she knew that Jezarah was right. She couldn't be dead because surely any heaven she imagined wouldn't be the training arena in Serkdan. But she wanted better answers than that. “Okay,” she said, trying not to let her irritation show. “And where exactly is here?”_

_“It's kind of complicated, but you could say we're in your mind. Sort of.”_

_“My mind? Sort of? Jezarah, what's going on? How did I get here? And you'd better give me a straight answer because I did not just get burned alive and nearly eaten by birds only to be met with a shit-ton of hypotheticals.”_

_Jezarah’s expression was unreadable as she tilted her head to the side. “You don't remember?”_

_With Jezarah’s words, everything came back to her. Trying to kill Connor. Meeting Ally and the Infrans. Talking with Flames and Ally by the fire. Traveling to Cavea and staging a prison break to rescue Rynn Dearborn. Getting stabbed in a fight to the death with Glothic. She felt her stomach churning as she remembered that last bit._

_“I remember,” she said carefully. “But I'm not dead?”_

_“Well, not quite,” Jezarah replied, sounding unbelievably nonchalant about the whole scenario. Irritating as that was, Enna appreciated it. If Jezarah wasn't freaking out then maybe this wasn't so bad. “You aren't dead—not yet at least.”_

_“So I'm going to die?” That wasn't a much better scenario, even if it was inevitable. As much as she missed Jezarah, she'd really prefer to be alive._

_“That all depends on where you go from here.”_

_Okay, now she was lost. “What do you mean?”_

_Jezarah paused, clearly trying to think of the best way to explain the situation. “Okay,” she said after a moment or two. “You were hurt, right?”_

_“Right.”_

_“And right now you’re trying to recover.”_

_“I guess so, yeah.”_

_“This, Enna,” she said, stretching out her hands and indicating the world around them, “is your in-between state, so to speak. This is where you make the decision to either move on to the next life or to fight and go back.”_

_Enna fought down a new burst of questions, taking the time to prioritize and logically think this through. Clearly this didn't happen to everyone, otherwise Jezarah would have chosen to go back and fight. And now she had to choose whether or not she would move on or not. What did that mean, moving on?_

_“And if I move on,” she said slowly, “what happens then? What would I have to do?”_

_“What do you see around you?”_

_Finally, here was a question she knew how to answer. “The, uh, the training arena back in Serkdan.”_

_Jezarah snorted. “Really?” Enna crossed her arms over her chest rather petulantly, which just caused Jezarah to laugh. “Come to think of it, kid, that's not much of a surprise. We did spend some good times in here, didn't we?”_

_That was true, they had. She'd forged her first sword here, learned all of the correct fencing maneuvers here, trained with the Knights of Malus here. She’d spent the Murder of Maude training here some years to forget her hunger pains during the fast. And Jezarah had always been there for her, through thick and thin, through blood and sweat, always there with constructive criticism and a hand to help her up. “Yeah,” she said, her throat suddenly tight. “We did.”_

_Jezarah didn't say anything for a few seconds, graciously letting Enna have a moment. “Anyway,” she finally said. “If you see the training arena, then…well, to move on, all you'd have to do is go through the exit.” She pointed in the distance, and Enna noticed the exit for the first time. Same door as in Serkdan, and Enna knew it let to a courtyard in the real world. But here, it apparently led to the beyond._

_“Does it hurt?” She hated how childish she sounded in that moment but didn't regret the question._

_“No, it's not painful,” she answered with a half-smile, as though she’d known that Enna would ask that. “Just feels peaceful.”_

_Peaceful. She mulled the word over in her mind like a fine wine. “Will you be there?”_

_“Only if you want me to.”_

_She supposed others would be waiting for her too. Bran. Her birth parents. Her adopted mother, if she wasn't still alive. And there would be peace. No war, no blood. She could move on. She didn't have to go back._

_“I can't stay.” And the second she said it, she knew it was the right answer. “I-I’ve got a sister back there. Friends. I can't leave them, not now.”_

_Jezarah just smiled at her—a real, rare smile, one that Enna didn't get to see very often. The kind that meant Jezarah was proud of her. “I figured you'd say that,” she said. “Good on you.”_

_“Thanks, Jezarah. And I—” She swallowed. “I'll, uh, I'm really going to miss you.”_

_“I’ll miss you too, hon.” Jezarah pulled her into a hug and Enna clung to her. They probably could've stayed that way forever, but Enna couldn't delay the inevitable any longer. When she reluctantly pulled away, Jezarah mussed her hair the way she had when Enna had been younger and said, “Go on through the exit.” And where that bronze door had been was now a wooden door, sleek and smooth. “There's someone waiting for you there.”_

_“Who?”_

_“I guess you'll have to go and see.”_

_And Enna walked toward the door, her shoulders straight and her head held up high. She placed her hand on the doorknob, not trusting herself to turn. If she did, her resolve might crumble. “Bye, Jezarah,” she said, and left without looking back._

_The world that greeted her beyond the training arena was a forest, which she hadn’t quite expected. Oak trees surrounded her, the leaves blocking the sky, and the green grass came up to her calves. There was a stone path beneath her feet and she sensed that she was meant to follow it, so she did. It led her to a cemetery, which was enclosed by a wrought-iron fence and an open gate._

_Entering the cemetery sent shivers down her spine, as though she was trespassing on something familial and sacred. In between the third and fourth row of tombstones sat a woman, and as Enna approached her she stood up and turned around._

_Dark hair tumbled down her back, contrasting against her milk-pale skin. She was clothed in a silky dress, the sleeves of which extended past her hands and the hem of which ended at her ankles. She was barefoot. She looked to be around Jezarah’s age, perhaps a little older. Her face was beautiful in a timeless sort of way—sharp cheekbones, red lips, laugh lines around her eyes, which were a greenish-gray. The familiarity was staggering; had they met before?_

_“Enna Hatten,” said the woman. Her voice was soft and raspy, like she hadn’t spoken for some time. “It’s good to finally meet you.”_

_“You…” Enna frowned, trying to get her thoughts in order. She_ knew _this woman, she did, from somewhere where her memories didn’t reach. “Who are you?”_

_“Maggie Winsworth.” The corner of her lips turned upward into an interesting sort of half-smile. “I’m your predecessor, so to speak.”_

_Her jaw dropped. Maggie Winsworth. Her predecessor. She had a million questions warring inside of her but she shoved them down and said, “You’re my past life.” It sounded stupid but she had to make sure before she said anything that she regretted._

_“That’d be me,” Maggie said with a grand gesture at herself. “And I’ve got to say, it’s interesting to finally meet my successor. I don’t think Nyasha prepared me enough for this.” She shook her head, her expression fading from blas_ _é_ _to fond. “But here you are.”_

_“Here I am.” Something occurred to her then. “You called me Enna earlier instead of...instead of my birth name.” She hesitated. “What else do you know about me?”_

_“I know that you were kidnapped by Krios Karavan and raised by the Kilvoskians. I know that you’ve trained your entire life to be an assassin of the Knights of Malus. I know that you defected from the only home you knew to stay with your twin sister and others whom you barely know. I know that you don’t want to go by Jamie because you think the name belongs to a person long dead. I know that you’ve been terrified of dying in a helpless situation ever since Krios tried to kill you when you were seven.” Maggie seemed very matter-of-fact. Enna couldn’t speak. “I also know that you love birds and secretly hoped as a child that you could learn to fly. I know that when you’re scared at night you picture an island and count the waves crashing onto a beach until you fall asleep. I know that you care for those around more than you can say. I know that you’re smart, and loyal, and the best person I could have hoped to wield the moniker of Infran of Death.”_

_Her eyes stung and she looked away, knowing that if she met Maggie’s eyes right now then she would start crying and she did not want to do that. “Thanks,” she said quietly. “I-I guess you’ve been watching over me for a while.” Maggie nodded. “You think I should go back too.”_

_“Yes,” she said. “You've spent the first fourteen years of your life trying to survive, even under Jezarah’s care and tutelage. I think now with the Infrans you have the chance to live, and I think you ought to take that chance.” She smiled warmly. “I believe you're thinking the same.”_

_Enna didn't deny it. “Did you ever have to make a choice like this? To stay and live or to move on?”_

_“Once.” Her expression darkened, like a cloud had passed over the sun. A chill whispered through the graveyard. “When my wife was giving birth to our first child, a girl named Catherine, I was far away with the other Infrans. I was struck down in battle and would have died instantly if not for Nyasha and Dyas’s quick thinking. But I reached a place just like this, and was met with the decision to stay or go back.” She breathed out, her eyes far away. “I missed my parents, my siblings, and they were waiting for me here along with my childhood friends and my first cat. I thought the world I left was bloody and cruel and on the verge of war and I didn't want to return.”_

_“But you came back.”_

_“That I did. Because I knew I would never forgive myself if I left those that I loved to fight alone. So I returned and didn't regret it to the end.”_

_Silence filled the air between them. A bird flew by and landed briefly on a nearby tombstone before taking flight again. The name had long since faded to the point where Enna could no longer make it out._

_“I want to go back and make things right,” Enna finally said. “I want to help the Infrans bring down Glothic and bring peace back.” She thought of Jezarah, of her parents, of Ally’s mentor Grisha Dearborn. “We've lost enough people as it is.”_

_“I agree.”_

_They looked at each other, one Infran of Death to another, and Enna decided to voice one last thought before she returned to the land of the living. “Is this real? Or has this just been happening in my mind?”_

_The world around her was fading, yet she still heard Maggie’s delighted laugh loud and clear. “Of course it's happening in your mind, Enna, but why should that mean that it isn't real?”_

* * *

By the time the sun rose, Ally was dying to get out of Eyle’s cave. The idea of taking turns hadn't lasted long, as Enna had started screaming halfway through Flames’s shift and woke up not only their cave but two other caves outside. She'd been delirious, yelling about fires and burning alive and fighting anyone who came near her, which had resulted in Ally, Flames, Rynn, and Joseph having to literally pin Enna down so Eyle could spoonfeed her more medicine. Thankfully, Enna had gone still about an hour ago, breathing fitfully in her sleep, and Ally had left Flames by Enna’s side so she could leave briefly and get some fresh air.

She rested against a tree, enjoying the cool morning breeze against her face, and let out a sigh of relief. They'd saved Rynn. Glothic had been incapacitated for the time being. Enna had made it through the night. It hadn't gone off without a hitch, but everyone had made it out alive. Everything was going to be okay now.

“Well, well, if it isn't the woodblood.”

Ally tensed, pushing herself off the tree and turning to face the source of the insult. Her stomach dropped to her knees as she recognized the wolves in front of her—Nasher Ardwulf and his cronies, all of whom had bullied her relentlessly when she'd been a child. But she was older now, wiser, and wouldn't take their jibes lying down anymore. “What do you want?”

His eyes glittered like black holes as he sneered at her. “Just can't believe you came back here, that's all.” His cronies snickered like that was the pinnacle of wit. “Didn't think you were the type to go poking around where you aren't wanted.”

She felt a stab of pain in her chest at his words but she would not let him have the satisfaction of seeing her upset. “I don't care if I'm wanted here or not,” she said coolly. “And I definitely don't care about what you have to say, so why don't you screw off and leave me alone.”

Nasher looked taken aback, but one of his cronies stepped forward in his place. “You and your snot-nosed friends better watch your backs while you're here,” he growled. “Some of the pack don't take kindly to people coming in without warning.”

“One of my snot-nosed friends, as you so put it, is the Lady of Light,” Ally said, mentally counting to ten to restrain herself. “So watch your tongue when speaking about her or I'll rip it out of your throat for disrespect.”

“Threats won't do you very good when we've got your sister’s life in our hands,” said Nasher, crossing his arms over his chest and looking supremely proud of his comeback.

“Can't speak for her but I'd rather be dead than be related to a screw-up like you,” chimed in the second wolf.

Before she could yell at him or attempt to fight him for saying that about her, she heard footsteps behind her and saw the faces of Nasher and his friends go pale.

“Zeta Nasher, Zeta Phelan.” Eyle sounded calm and composed but when Ally turned around there was fire in her eyes. “Is there a problem?”

“No, Beta Eyle.”

“Good. I'm glad to hear that.” She clasped her hands together and Ally moved to stand beside her. “Now then. Unless you have a matter of importance to discuss with me, I suggest you leave. I wouldn't want to have to report your rudeness regarding the Lady of the Light to the council.”

Nasher and his cronies scattered, but not before Phelan shot Ally a glare that made her feel like she'd been slapped in the face. She took a deep breath, feeling as though she'd run a marathon without stopping for water. Vita, she hated Nasher. She hated them all.

“Thanks,” she said to Eyle. “For making them leave.”

“What good am I as the highest ranking Beta in the pack if I can't stop petty quarrels?” Eyle’s eyes met Ally’s. “Pay no mind to them or their words, Omega Ally. Otherwise rising to every bait and jibe will be your downfall.”

She was stunned by Eyle’s words, not having expected any advice. What did Eyle mean? Was she supposed to just ignore the slights against who she was? Why did she have to be the bigger person?

If she didn't defend herself, who would?

But she would be a fool to refuse to even listen to the advice of a Beta, so she inclined her head and said, “Thank you, Beta Eyle.” She paused, deciding to ask a question that she really wanted an answer to. “How's Enna?”

“Weak but recovering. The poison is officially out of her system and it seems as though the hallucinations have ceased. She should be awake soon.”

Her heart leapt. Thank Vita. “That's great,” she replied, unable to keep the relief or her grin out of her words. “I—that's awesome.”

“That it is,” Eyle conceded, and there was a twinkle in her eyes that hadn't been present before. “Come. You ought to be there when she wakes up.”

* * *

Waking up felt like she was swimming up from the bottom of a very deep pool with weights tied to her ankles, and opening her eyes felt like a breath of much needed air. Her surroundings were blurry, but each blink brought them more into focus. She was lying on a bed in some kind of hut—no, a cave. Definitely a cave.

She struggled to remember what had happened, each piece of the puzzle slowly returning. She'd fought Glothic in Cavea and lost. She'd passed out when they'd been escaping. She'd dreamt about fire and birds and Jezarah and had a conversation with Maggie Winsworth. That all made sense. But how had she gotten here?

It took her an embarrassingly long time to realize that someone was staring at her, and she resisted the urge to flinch when she saw Ally. Her twin looked like she hadn't slept in days—her blue eyes were bloodshot, her hair was a rat’s nest, her clothes were dirty, and she looked shellshocked. “Enna?”

“Hey.” She sounded like her vocal cords had been rubbed raw with sandpaper but she was pleased that her voice hadn't been affected by whatever poison had been on Glothic’s blade.

“Are…are you awake? For real?”

Enna had no idea what that meant. Had she been hallucinating? Actually, considering Glothic and the types of torture he devised, using a poison that caused people to hallucinate was right up his alley. “Yeah.” Her face scrunched up as she felt mucus rising in her throat; she swallowed it back down before she could vomit. “Where am I?”

“The Forests of Conan—a Wolf Children colony.” Ally sat up straighter in her chair and Enna propped herself up on her elbows, looking around. Joseph and Rynn were asleep and curled up together in the corner of the cave. Her heart leapt to see all of the other Infrans alive—George and Connor were sharing a blanket, Janet was asleep on Bill’s shoulder, and Flames was curled up into a ball next to a makeshift fire pit. They'd all made it. Hail, glory, and hallelujah. “We got here last night. Bill and Eyle Beowulf got the poison out of your system and you've been in recovery since then.”

She frowned. “Who's Eyle?”

“She's the highest ranking Beta in the pack. She and Titus—they’re an old friend of mine—agreed to let us stay here. The two of them left a few minutes ago to go report to the council that we’re here.”

The way Ally spoke about Titus and Eyle set off alarms in Enna’s head. “This is your old pack, isn't it?” Ally didn't deny it. “You haven't been back here since that family gave you up.”

“No, I haven’t.”

Her words were infused with badly-feigned nonchalance, and although it was clear that she didn’t want to talk about it, Enna wasn’t about to let it go. She forced herself up into a sitting position to better speak with Ally. “You didn’t have to come back here—why did you—”

“Because I wasn’t about to leave you to die, okay?” Ally snapped, which shocked Enna enough to shut up. “Glothic stabbed you and you were barely holding on and if you’d died just because I didn’t want to face my past I _never_ would have forgiven myself.”

When she found the strength to speak again, her voice was very soft. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you’re my _sister_.” Ally wiped her tears away with her wrist. “You're my family.” She gave Enna a watery smile. “That means we have to look out for each other.”

Emotions gnawed at Enna’s gut, and she couldn’t formulate coherent thought. _She really thinks of me as her sister_ , she realized. This wasn’t like in the turbulent days following the revelation, where neither of them had known what to do with the other. Ally had come back for her. Ally _cared_ about her. And Enna was surprised to realize that she cared about Ally in return.

“Ally.” She waited for Ally to look at her. “Thanks.”

Ally’s eyes widened in surprise, but once it hit her that Enna wasn’t being sarcastic, her watery smile became wide and uncontrollable. “You’re welcome.”

Apparently their conversation had woken up the other Infrans, because Enna’s next words were cut off by Bill, Janet, George, Connor, and Flames rushing over to her and Ally. They were all talking over each other, expressing their joy that Enna was awake, asking if she was better or if she needed anything, and Enna tried to be annoyed but couldn’t muster any irritation.

“I’m so glad you’re okay, Enna,” Flames finally said once all of the rambling had died down. She smiled hesitantly, brushing a bit of her curly hair out of her face, and Enna was just _gone._

After a few seconds she realized that she needed to reply, and she laughed weakly. “Yeah, well.” She raised her arm to scratch the back of her neck awkwardly, ignoring the throbbing. “I owe that to you guys.” Then her brow furrowed as another piece of the puzzle returned. “Was it a hallucination or did one of you shoot Glothic with an arrow?”

“Um, I did.” Janet flushed. “I was really worried that it wasn’t going to work but we needed to distract Glothic before Flames shot fire at him and—well. It worked, thankfully.”

“So just to be clear,” Enna said after a moment’s pause. “You shot an arrow at the Infran of Blood while you were on a flying dragon hundreds of feet in the air.” Janet nodded, looking sheepish. Enna just felt impressed. “That’s...good. That was good.”

The door to the cave opened, and in walked two people that Enna had never seen before in her life. One was an old woman, wrinkled and severe-looking, but her eyes were sharp and knowledgeable. The one next to her was taller, with broad shoulders and thick, dark hair. Once Enna got a glimpse of the constellation-shaped tattoos through the fur pelts decorating their bodies, she knew that these two had to be Eyle and Titus, the two that Ally had said had helped Enna live through the night. The sound of the door slamming shut caused Rynn and Joseph to startle awake, and Enna had to stifle a laugh at the stunned look on Joseph’s face.

“I see you’re awake,” said the woman—Beta Eyle, Enna assumed. “How do you feel?”

“Fine.” At Eyle, Ally, and Flames’s incredulous looks, Enna relented. “Tired. Sore. My throat’s really dry.”

“That’s to be expected.” Eyle shuffled over to her, Titus on her heels, and the Infrans moved away from the bed to give her some space. Enna didn’t react outwardly as Eyle checked her pulse and heart-rate and her other vital signs, even though she thought that it was somewhat stupid to check. “You seem to be doing fine, but I would take it easy for the next few days. Your strength was almost entirely spent fighting off that poison.”

Enna swallowed as the memory of Glothic’s sword biting into her side came back at full force, and her hand crept down to her side as if to check that all of her bones and muscles were still there. Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered breaking into Glothic’s office and stealing Jezarah’s file—had she lost it in battle? “I had a folder on me,” she said hoarsely. “I stole it from General Glothic’s office, did—”

“It’s right here,” said Joseph, who at some point had walked over to join the conversation. He picked up a bloodstained file folder off a nearby table and handed it to Enna, who clutched it with white-knuckled hands and tried to slow down her breathing. There it was. Thank Vita.

“What is it, anyway?” Connor asked. “None of us wanted to look at it until you woke up.”

“It’s—well—Glothic kept files on all of the Knights, including my mentor Jezarah. She died while I was—” Enna looked down at the folder, cutting herself off. “And this is Glothic’s file on her. It’s got all of the mission reports, Kelva reports, training scores—the whole nine yards. And it’s all I have left of her.”

Rynn, who had also walked over to join their conversation, looked confused. “How do you know that she died when you were a prisoner?” Apparently one of the Infrans had filled her in on some of the facts (Enna was willing to bet on it being George) but not all of them. Joseph clearly didn’t know either, and Enna felt a rush of affection toward the Infrans for keeping her secret.

But there really wasn’t a need to keep it a secret any longer. She had officially defected from the Kilvoskians and the Knights of Malus. Jezarah was dead. Krios and Glothic didn’t have a hold on her any longer, and she didn’t have to hide her birthright anymore. “Because I’m the Infran of Death.”

Rynn’s jaw dropped. Joseph’s eyes almost popped out of his head. Titus looked between Enna and Ally, as if unsure what to think. Eyle was the only one who looked unsurprised, although that could have been a facade.

“The drama of the last few minutes aside, let’s get down to business,” said Titus after a moment’s pause. That caused some laughter amongst them, and Enna decided that she liked Titus. “The council has decided to let you all stay here until Enna recovers.”

Ally breathed out a sigh of relief. Enna hadn’t even known that their arrival would be an issue—wasn’t this Ally’s old pack, anyway? Why would they just kick her and the other Infrans, especially the Infran of the Moon, out?—but she was grateful that they could stay longer. Flames, however, didn’t look convinced. “There’s no time ultimatum?”

Eyle’s expression changed for the first time that entire conversation. “I told the council that Enna would be back to her full strength in six days, which, coincidentally, is when our Alpha returns from his hunting party.”

Ally spoke up first. “So you want us out of here before Noxyn comes back?”

“No,” Eyle said. “I believe it is in your best interest to leave before Alpha Noxyn comes back.” She exhaled. “He would not take kindly to you barging in without permission, nor our harboring of a Kilvoskian fugitive.” Enna flushed. “Have I made myself clear?”

“Yes, Beta Eyle.”

“Good.” She clasped her hands together. “Then take this time to rest up, all of you. Omega Ally, I know you in particular have gotten very little sleep over the past twenty-four hours.” Enna looked over at her sister in surprise. Vita, had Ally stayed up with her all night? “The council has elected to host a celebratory dinner tonight in honor of your arrival, and the entire pack has been invited. I expect to see you all there.”

Enna knew perfectly well it was an order, not an offer, and so did the others. They all gave their affirmations that they would be there.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing, a near foreign concept after seven years of relentless training. George and Janet taught her to play Jinx, a card game with way too many rules that brought out Ally’s competitive streak. She got to know Rynn better, who was kind and spunky and smart and adored Joseph almost as much as he adored her. Joseph and Connor worked together to write a report for Queen Gem and Clara Clinton, and Flames and Ally helped Enna string the metal chunk of Glothic’s sword onto a necklace (after Bill had sterilized it).

“Looks good,” Ally commented once their work was done. Enna touched the metal, trying not to wince at the thought that it had been fished out of her gut less than twenty-four hours previously. “And now you’ve always got some sort of weapon on you.”

That made her feel better.

At five o’clock, the nine of them made their way to the pack’s dining pavilion, where Eyle had claimed the dinner would be held. They had had to climb up a stone pathway that wound its way up through the mountain in elegantly carved steps, but all the complaints that Enna had thought of disappeared once they arrived.

It was quite the sight. Wolf Children were dancing in large circles, laughing and singing along while others drank and moved amongst themselves. Pups were running around and shrieking with laughter, parents talking and smiling at each other, grandparents comparing stories. Clearly they were all one big family, and Enna envied their closeness.

Eyle made her way over to them, Titus hovering close. “Excellent, you’ve made it.” She looked a bit more relaxed than usual but her voice was as no-nonsense as ever. “Please feel free to walk around and introduce yourselves. Food will be served soon and you’d best hurry; slow feet get no meat.” To Janet, she said, “Several of our pack have wanted to meet you, my lady.”

Janet looked scared, but Bill put a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” he said, giving her an encouraging smile that she returned a few seconds later, albeit a bit nervously.

“I’ll go with you,” Ally said. Something from the way she was looking around made Enna curious. Clearly she wasn’t just offering out of the goodness of her heart. She was looking for someone. Maybe the family that had abandoned her.

Ally and Janet walked off. Bill and Connor and George elected to go introduce themselves as well, and Joseph and Rynn went with Eyle and Titus to greet the other members of the council. Only Flames stayed by Enna’s side.

“You don’t have to stay, you know,” Enna said. “I’m just…” Saying that she was analyzing possible escape routes didn’t seem polite, so she bit her lip instead. “I bet there’s plenty to do.”

Flames shrugged, her curls bouncing on her shoulders. “True,” she conceded. “But I think it’ll be more fun to experience this party together.” Enna tried not to blush. A line at one of the tables was forming—apparently more drinks were being served. “Want to go and get a drink with me?”

“Uh, sure. Let’s go.”

The line was longer than Enna had expected, but she didn’t mind waiting with Flames. They shared a comfortable silence, breaking it occasionally to point out one of the Wolf Children or ask a question. (And Enna absolutely did not want to point out that Flames looked especially nice when she was laughing. She did _not_.) Once they got to the front, they ended up taking enough drinks for all of the Infrans and Joseph and Rynn—“Just in case they’re thirsty when they come back and the line is too long,” Flames said—and sat down at an empty table nearby.

“You know,” Enna said, “when I saw the long line I was expecting they’d serve something a little more exciting than water.”

Flames snorted. “Maybe they’re saving up the really exciting drinks for when dinner is served.”

“Could be.” She was struggling to think of something else to say (something witty and cool that would elicit another smile out of her companion) but something caught her eye. There was Ally—without Janet for some reason—talking to a taller, dark-skinned man, but she didn’t look pleased. As a matter of fact, she looked...nervous. “Who’s that guy Ally’s talking to?”

“No idea, but he doesn’t look like a friend.”

Enna didn’t know whether to intervene or not, but her decision was made for her when Ally tried to leave and he grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn around. She was on her feet in less than a second, storming her way over to the pair of them. She grabbed the man by the back of the fur pelt he wore and yanked him around to face her, deciding he needed a taste of his own medicine. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“None of your—” His jaw dropped the second he got a good look at her, but he recovered in the time that it took Ally to move over to Enna’s side. A sneer replaced his previous shock, and he said, “So you must be Hatten’s twin sister.”

“That’s right,” she said calmly. “And you must be what passes for a threat around here.”

The unspoken question of _who the hell are you_ was very obvious, and he cleared his throat once he realized that she would not let him go without answering. “Nasher Ardwulf. Zeta.”

“Zeta Nasher. Nice to meet you.” She made sure to keep her expression calm, knowing that they were on dangerous ground. “Enna. Assassin of the Knights of Malus, serial number IB-454. Now that we’ve got our introductions squared away, let’s get down to business.” _By Golgotha’s name, I hope Krios’s lessons on intimidation are going to come in handy now._ “I believe I saw you threatening my sister a little while back and I would like an apology.”

“An apology.” Nasher bared his teeth, like that was supposed to be threatening. She stood her ground. “How about we take this elsewhere so I can kick both of your asses in private?”

That statement was so laughable that Enna had to fight to keep a straight face. Did he actually think he could beat her and Ally combined? “Oh, a counter-offer.” To Ally, she said, “You know, the Malusi taught us about those in the Academy of War and Peace—I believe he just offered us a counter-offer. What do you think?”

Ally’s hand went to her hip, inches away from where her scabbard was hanging. “You know, Enna, I think you’re right.”

“Yes. Well, this is certainly a tough decision here, isn’t it? Get our asses kicked or get an apology. Hmm. Let me think. I believe I’ve recovered in full from my duel against General Glothic, and Ally here is definitely in fine form.” She tapped her finger against her chin, pretending to think about it. She could see out of the corner of her eye that some Wolf Children had formed a circle around them. “No, I think I’ll just go with the apology.”

“Over my dead body.”

In an aside to Ally that she made sure everyone could hear, she said, “He likes to renegotiate as he goes along, doesn’t he?” The corners of Ally’s lips twitched. “You know, I think I ought to make a counter-offer on our behalf. Is that alright with you, Ally?”

“Fine by me.”

“Great. Well, Zeta Nasher, since you really seem unwilling to give my sister an apology, what if I were just to kick the ever-loving shit out of you?”

Nasher snorted. He was much taller and bigger than the two of them, but Enna was an assassin and Ally was the Infran of Life, and Enna thought that it was starting to dawn on him that he might have bitten off more than he could chew. “In your dreams.”

“Oh no, in reality. If I were to kick the shit out of you, would my sister get an apology?”

Now he just looked disbelieving. Oh, that poor wolf. Enna hoped Eyle had more room in her cave. “If you kick the shit out of me?”

“Yes. See, it wouldn’t even be that difficult.” She paused and switched subjects. “One thing that the Academy of War and Peace really drives home is a good study of anatomy. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know much about the anatomy of Wolf Children, but I assume Ally could fill in the necessary blanks.” Nasher was starting to squirm but Enna wasn’t going to let him go just yet. “You know, there are a lot of theories that circle around the most painful bone in the human body that you can break. Nobody can ever seem to come to a consensus on anything, so if you choose to fight the two of us, I can work in some time to test the theory out. See, I think I’d start with the smallest bone, maybe just work my way up from there. Did you know that each of our feet is made up of twenty-six separate bones? I imagine it’d take an hour just to go through both of them.” Enna let that information sink in, knowing that she was about to win. “Once again, here are our options. One, we get our asses kicked; two, you get the shit kicked out of you; and three, you apologize and no one gets harmed. So, Zeta Nasher, what do you say?”

Nasher swallowed, looking between the two of them like he’d rather be on the receiving end of a sword. But Enna waited patiently, Ally at her side, and he finally said, “Sorry,” through gritted teeth.

“Say it again. Louder.”

“I’m sorry.” His voice wasn’t much louder than before but Enna knew it wasn’t going to get better than that, so she took it.

“Great,” she said cheerfully. “I’m glad we got that settled. Ally, let’s go. Zeta Nasher, I hope you enjoy the rest of the party.” She took Ally by the elbow and the two of them strolled off to Flames’s table, where the other Infrans were waiting for them with shocked expressions.

Enna collapsed in one of the chairs, legs shaking slightly from the adrenaline overload. “Vita,” she muttered. Flames passed her a glass of water, which she chugged down appreciatively. “What an asshole.”

“I…” Ally’s eyes were wide and her jaw hung open a little, making her look almost comically surprised. “Enna, you…thank you. For standing up for me.”

“Any time.” And much like this morning, she was surprised to realize that she meant what she spoke. She gave Ally a hesitant smile, which was immediately returned and made Enna feel warm inside.

“Who was he to you, anyway?” Connor asked. “Did you know him before today?”

“Uh, yeah. I did. He and his cronies always used to bully me when I was younger. Called me names and pulled my hair and pushed me down.” Ally snorted. “I always wanted to get him back for that.”

“I doubt he’ll even come near you again after that,” Bill commented with a mischievous grin. “You two were awesome out there.”

“Thanks,” Ally said, tilting her chin up and smiling appreciatively. But then her smile disappeared. “I just hope that it doesn’t affect our relations with the Wolf Children.”

“I doubt it will,” said a voice from behind, and only the fact that it belonged to Titus prevented Enna from unsheathing her sword. The wolf pulled up an extra chair, Janet politely moving her chair so they could join them. “Since Zeta Nasher escaped with only his dignity damaged, the council won’t hear out any of his complaints. If you had actually escalated to blows, then we would have a problem.” To Enna and Ally, Titus said, “You both did well standing your ground. And Miss Enna?”

Enna looked up, brows furrowing. “What?”

“Beta Eyle wishes to inform you that should you be forced to follow through on your threat to Zeta Nasher one day, Wolf Children anatomy is virtually the same as a human’s.”

That elicited a grin from her, brief though it was. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

* * *

The rest of the night passed in relative peace, much to Ally’s relief. She and the Infrans and Rynn and Joseph had eaten dinner alone, pausing every so often to greet the wolves who wanted desperately to meet Janet. And aside from her unpleasant encounter with Nasher, it hadn’t been as bad as she thought it would be. Though she was mildly concerned that out of the few wolves she’d spoken to, none of them would tell her what had happened to the Lyalls. Had Felicity and Kurt simply disappeared off the face of the earth? Had they defected to another pack? Worse still, had they died in a way too gruesome and taboo for the other wolves to mention? She didn’t know and part of her didn’t want to know.

Titus had invited Joseph and Rynn and the Infrans to stay with them so Beta Eyle could have her cave back to herself, and they had agreed. Beta Eyle had sternly insisted that they all join her for lunch so she could make sure Enna’s wound was healing properly, and the following afternoon the nine of them made their way over there.

Ally walked next to Bill and Janet, listening to the two of them exchanging details of the banquet last night. George and Connor were behind them, arguing over some book, while Joseph and Rynn were at the front of the group. She couldn’t help but grin over at Enna, who kept sneaking looks at Flames and smiling at her. If this was a crush, it definitely wasn’t one-sided; Flames had an interesting bounce in her step and was smiling admiringly at Enna like she’d hung the moon and the stars.

And then out of nowhere, something bumped against her legs. Surprised, Ally stopped in her tracks and looked down to see a young Wolf Child with ears too big for his head and a short ponytail of white hair, which contrasted heavily against his dark brown skin. He was looking up at her with wide, shining blue eyes. “Hi!”

The others stopped and turned around, Enna’s hand automatically going to her scabbard before realizing that it was only a child. A child who was clearly waiting for Ally to say something. “Uh,” she said eloquently, “hi?”

“Hi!’ The child bounced up and down, clapping his hands together with excitement. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve always wanted to meet you!”

Vita help her, this was awkward. She couldn’t remember ever seeing him before—he certainly hadn’t been at the banquet—but there was something familiar about him. Something about the eyes, about the smile... “Oh, are you sure you don't want to meet Janet? That’s her over there; she's the Infran of the—”

The boy shook his head; he was probably the first Wolf Child ever to take an interest in Ally over Janet. “But you're Ally Hatten!” While Ally gaped at him like a fish struggling for oxygen, a look of fear came over his face. “You...you are Ally Hatten, right?”

With effort, she closed her mouth. “Yes.” Her voice came out weaker than she’d expected. Who _was_ this kid? “Why—how do you—”

“My mama and papa told me all about you!” Now that her identity was confirmed, he started bouncing again and looked especially overjoyed to meet her. “You could turn into a wolf and now you can be a lion and you’re super super brave and—”

Bill approached Ally and the child and knelt in front of him so that they were at eye level. “Where exactly are your parents? Do you live here?”

“Uh huh. Me and Mama and Papa and my sisters live here. We live all the way over there.” He pointed toward the woods near the bottom of the mountain, and Ally’s stomach started to twist. Something about this was wrong. “We just got back yesterday and I heard you were here and I wanted to meet you.”

Bill didn’t seem undeterred. “What’s your name?”

“Leo.” The name sounded familiar too. Had she met the little boy before? When they had been with Ylva’s pack, perhaps? No, that didn’t make sense. “What’s your name? Are you an Infran too?”

“Yeah, my name’s Bill. I’m the Infran of Water.” To put Leo at ease, he summoned bits of dew from the grass and formed them into a messily-shaped flower. Leo’s eyes widened and he looked very impressed. “All of us are Infrans; well, except Rynn and Joseph. They’re...traveling with us. This is George, Connor, Flames, Janet, and Enna.”

Leo tilted his head and frowned at Enna, who looked supremely uncomfortable by the attention. Her hand had moved away from her scabbard but now she was fiddling with the chain around her neck. “Why do you look like Ally?”

Although it was clear Enna would have rather fought Glothic again than answer, she did. “Because I’m her sister.”

The simple explanation should have satisfied him but he just looked more confused. “But she doesn’t have a sister. My mama never said that Ally had a sister.”

Ally and Enna exchanged skeptical looks, each of them thinking the same thing: who was this kid, and what else had his parents been telling him? “Uh,” Ally said, “Leo?” The boy in question looked up at once. “Do, uh, do your parents know you’re here?”

“No,” he admitted, looking down at his feet. They were dirty; he hadn’t even bothered to put on shoes.

“You should get back home, buddy,” Bill said. Then, as if he and Leo were sharing a secret, “We don’t want to worry your mama and papa, do we?” Leo shook his head. “Good. C’mon, we’ll take you. Don’t want you to get lost.”

Ally’s instincts were screaming at her to stay behind, and she tried desperately to come up with an excuse to stay behind. “But—what about lunch with Beta Eyle?”

“Joseph and I will tell Beta Eyle that you’ll be late,” Rynn said, casually waving them off. “It’s alright. We’ll see you soon.”

So the Infrans set off after Leo, who held Bill’s hand and chattered about his favorite things and kept looking over at Ally as if he was afraid she’d disappear into thin air if he ignored her. Ally kept close to Enna and Flames, who appeared to be the only ones that felt something was wrong with this situation. _Then again,_ she thought, _Leo’s seven years old. What trouble could he possibly give us?_

Her throat went dry when the trees thinned out to a gravelly road of little pebbles before it opened up onto a small garden full of lacey moonmunch flowers, tall with leafy white petals that were closed up in the sunlight. Next to the garden was a thin pathway through the mounds of dirt that leg to a craggy, lopsided sort of house. It was a collection of rectangular boulders covered in moss and slanted over one another, with a window and a door made of sturdy wood. Connor was probably working out the support structure and how it had been assembled, but Ally couldn’t bring herself to look and confirm her thoughts.

She knew this house. She had been here before. Not just once, but hundreds of times. She had slept here, eaten here, been loved here.

“There’s a garden out back with blackberry bushes!”

 _I know,_ she wanted to say to Leo. _I helped plant them._

Enna did a double-take when she caught a glimpse of Ally’s face—haunted, if Ally had to guess. Like she’d seen a ghost. “Ally? What is it?” Ally could see Enna going into battle mode, straightening up and looking around and moving onto her toes. “What’s the matter?”

The door swung open and Leo was immediately swept up into a tight hug. “Leolo, where have you been?” The woman who held him looked relieved beyond belief. Her white hair was pulled into an elaborate braid, swept off her brown face and amber eyes. A few stubborn strands nearly tickled her large, flat nose. “Larsen, Leo’s back!” She looked up and all of the color drained from her face once she got a glimpse of the Infrans standing in her front garden. Her knees were shaking and Ally knew that the little boy in her arms was the only thing keeping her upright.

She slowly set him down, and without looking at Leo said, “Leo, go to your room, please.”

“But Mama—”

_“Leolo.”_

He pouted but sulked off into the house, obviously unaware of the tension clouding the air between them.

Ally stepped closer to Enna for comfort, and suddenly the answer to the tension crashed down on her like a collapsing cave. Queen Gem and Clara Clinton had never passed along a message to the Wolftails that Enna had lived. They didn’t know that Enna had been raised by the Kilvoskians for the past fourteen years, that she was an assassin with a high kill streak, that she’d defected and saved all of their lives and fought Glothic to let them escape from Cavea.

Artricia approached them slowly, like she was wading through a dream, and stopped a foot in front of Ally and Enna. “Jamie?” she whispered, shock coloring each syllable of the name that her sister hadn’t used in years.

Oh Vita, this was a recipe for disaster.

* * *

Enna hadn’t been this confused since the queen’s revelation that she and Ally were twins. First that kid had come out of nowhere yammering about how he’d always wanted to meet the Infrans and how Enna couldn’t be Ally’s sister because his mother had said otherwise. Now Ally looked ready to pass out and the others were shifting awkwardly and the kid’s mother had called her by a name that very few people knew, a name that she hadn’t answered to since she was seven years old. What in Golgotha’s name was going on?

“It’s Enna,” she said, not caring that she sounded rude. “Who the hell are you?”

That took the woman aback, and she glanced between Ally and Enna as if she was just now realizing that something was wrong. “But—I thought—your name’s not—how are you alive?”

Enna’s eyes widened and she took a careful step backward, trying not to startle the woman into attacking anyone. “Same as you are.” _What is with this lady?_ “And you didn’t answer my question—”

“Jamie—”

 _“That’s not my name!”_ Enna hadn’t realized that she’d unsheathed her sword until the woman scrambled backwards with her hands up in a gesture of surrender. Although she felt guilty for frightening her, she kept her sword out. None of the Infrans asked her to put it away. “I’m only going to ask you one more time: who the _hell_ are you?”

The woman looked at Ally again, as if to ask if Enna’s threat was true, and when Ally nodded, she exhaled shakily. “My name is Artricia Wolftail,” she said, sounding like she was speaking around a lump in her throat.

As promised, Enna sheathed her sword, but if anything the revelation caused more problems than it solved. “Oh,” she said. Sparks of anger were churning in her gut and for once she didn’t shove them down. “So you’re one of the people who abandoned Ally and didn’t even bother to look for me. Right.” And then, because she had been trained by one of the pettiest people alive, “Nice to meet you.”

“Wait, what?” While Artricia struggled to find the right words, a man exited the house and joined them in the garden. Probably Larsen, Artricia’s husband, and he looked almost as stunned as his wife. “How did—your parents were our best friends, we never—”

Curious despite herself, she said, “My parents?”

“Yes. We knew them for years.” Larsen cleared his throat gruffly. “They wanted us to take care of their children in case anything happened to them.”

“Well,” Enna said, “I may not have known them as well as you did, but I’m pretty sure my parents would have appreciated it if you told their last surviving child about her damn twin sister!”

“We wanted—don't you—we didn't want—”

“You didn't want _what_ ?” Ally’s eyes narrowed as she finally entered the conversation. “Want me to feel different? Want me to be ostracized? Because guess what, that ended up happening anyway.” Janet moved to put a hand on Ally’s shoulder but Ally shook her off. “It didn't matter what you wanted or what you felt was best, you should have told me about her _._ ” Her voice grew louder and louder with every word. “I deserved to know that I had a twin sister just as much as I deserved to know that I had parents who sacrificed themselves for me. Do you think my mom and dad would have wanted you to just forget about Enna forever?”

“We didn't want you to be burdened, Ally,” Artricia whispered. “I—we knew that if we told you about Jamie, you would never stop blaming yourself for surviving when she hadn't. We were trying to look out for you. Please forgive us.”

Enna couldn't keep silent any longer, her rage boiling over and spilling out. “How noble of you. Did looking out for her also include abandoning her? Because that's just a beautiful show of hypocrisy.”

“How dare you—”

“Dad? What’s happening? Are you okay?”

 _Great_ , Enna thought as two more girls came running from inside the cave, _there's more of them_. And judging by their looks of concern and similarities in appearance to Artricia and Larsen, they had to be Kaylia and Nanya, Leolo’s older sisters.

“What the—” The younger of the two came to a halt in front of them, looking confused. The older one just looked stunned, and maybe even a little angry. That was weird. “Ally? You're back?”

Ally waved awkwardly. “Hi, Nanya,” she said. “And Kaylia.”

“And—” Kaylia visibly paled when she caught a glimpse of Enna, and all Enna could think was _here we go again_. “What—you're—you look just like—are you Jamie?”

“I haven't gone by that name since I was seven years old. Call me Enna or nothing at all.” She didn't bother to conceal her growing irritation with this family. “I was raised by the Kilvoskians and Ally and I only met each other recently. Strangely enough, she'd never heard of me but I find it very interesting that you do.”

Ally whirled on Kaylia and Nanya. “So you mean to tell me that you knew I had a sister and you didn't tell me either?” Now she sounded close to tears. “You were my best friends growing up. I thought it was bad enough that you lied to me about Bill but—how could you not tell me about Enna?”

“Mom and Dad told me to keep it a secret because they didn't want to upset you,” Nanya said quickly. “I only found out when I was four, Ally—”

“Oh, you only found out when you were four? Well, I found out less than a month ago when Krios Karavan sent her to break into Queen Gem’s castle and kill us!”

“What?” Anger and a surge of old protectiveness flared up in Kaylia’s expression. “Why would you do that?”

Enna was _not_ going to settle for this bullshit. “Because it was my job! And as far as I’m concerned you're the last one who ought to lecture me about duty considering how badly you failed at yours as an older sister!”

“Why you little—”

“That's enough, Kaylia,” Artricia snapped. She exhaled, looking as though she was trying desperately to calm herself down. “Come on. Let’s take this inside.”

Kaylia’s face reddened and she appeared ready to blow apart from anger. “Don't you dare pretend that this is all normal, Mom! Don't you dare! She can't just show up here after eight years of radio silence; she doesn't deserve to be here after what she did to you—”

Only Bill and Flames’s tight grip on Enna’s shoulders kept Enna from attacking Kaylia, but she still struggled to break free. “ _You're_ the ones who abandoned her! Don't you dare blame her for something that was your fault!”

“My parents have spent years groveling and begging for her forgiveness and she won’t even look at them!”

“Did you honestly expect her to? Would you forgive them if you found out that they had lied to you about everything you'd ever known? If they'd kept your blood relatives away from you?”

“What the hell do you even know about family? You were raised by murderers! You've got no right to be a part of this conversation!”

That stung but Enna refused to let it show. “I’ve got more right than you! We may have started off on bad terms but at least I can honestly say that I’ve never lied to Ally. We’re family and that means we have to look out for each other—something that you clearly wouldn't know how to do even if it bit you on the ass and left you a calling card!”

“You were never there when she needed you! Where were you when we were changing her diapers and teaching her how to talk and making sure Glothic didn't come back to finish the job—”

“I was being trained to be a child soldier because your family couldn’t keep their shit together and do their jobs like they were supposed to—”

Kaylia lunged at Enna as if to slap her, and Enna responded by breaking free from Bill and Flames’s grips, grabbing Kaylia’s hand out of the air and twisting it hard, stopping just shy of breaking bone.

“Listen here, Kaylia. While your parents were debating whether or not to tell Ally the truth, I was being trained by Krios Karavan and General Glothic to be an assassin of the Knights of Malus. I’ve killed more people than you can imagine and I’ve hurt a lot more and I certainly don’t mind adding you to the list—”

“Enna, no!” Ally grabbed her shoulder but didn't try to make Enna let go of Kaylia’s hand, clearly knowing that one small move could cause bones to break. “Enna, let her go. Please. Don't do this.”

A month ago, Enna would have ignored Ally and broken the girl’s wrist in half but something in her sister’s eyes caused her to relent. Reluctantly, she released Kaylia’s wrist, and Kaylia immediately moved back over to Nanya, cradling her hand in the crook of her elbow and wincing.

Tense silence choked the air around them. Enna wanted desperately to say more, to keep shouting at the family that had forgotten her and left her to rot in the recesses of time and memory, but when she caught a glimpse of the anguish in Ally’s eyes she suddenly realized that this wasn’t her fight. Defending Ally was one thing, but what good was it when she had barely let Ally defend herself?

She didn’t say anything, just backed off and gestured for Ally to say something if she wanted to.

Ally’s expression was blank and Enna couldn’t tell if she was grateful or not for the opportunity to speak for herself, but she took it nonetheless. “It’s true that I’ve made mistakes, Kaylia,” she said hoarsely, speaking around a lump in her throat. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes. But your parents have made more.”

“Ally,” Larsen began, but his wife put a hand on his shoulder. Clearly she sensed that this was not a moment to be interrupted, and Enna upped her estimation of Artricia’s intelligence.

“And I—I _begged_ you to just tell me the truth, to tell me why I was different, because I always knew I was and every time I was shoved in the mud or picked on I begged you to tell me and you—Vita, I deserved to know! I didn’t deserve to spend my life wondering what was wrong with me and—no, don’t interrupt me! You lied to me about everything!” She inhaled quickly. “I thought I could forgive you the last time I saw you, you know. You kept talking about coming clean, about wanting to be a family again. You could have told me about Enna then but you didn’t; you wouldn’t have been guilty at all if I had gone my life without knowing I had a twin sister.”

The Wolftails didn’t contradict her. Enna wanted to look away but Jezarah’s voice kept her staring straight ahead, unflinching. _Never let them see you cringe, hon._

“I...I’m sick of not having the answers—and just when I think maybe there's not wrong with me, maybe I've finally figured things out because of that stupid cave in I find out that I'm wrong again—that my powers are broken, that something really is wrong with me and everyone else has always known it except for me and—and you think saying you’re sorry, that some letters are going to make it okay?” She swiped her wrist under her nose, sniffling. “I...I think I could have forgiven you but now...now I don’t know.”

Enna could see the anger sputtering out of her sister but didn’t know what to do. She wasn’t good at comforting people. She never had been.

When Ally spoke again, her voice was strident with incoming tears. “Coming here was a mistake. Let’s go back to the cave.”

“Of course,” Janet said immediately, her voice soft.

George wrapped an arm around Ally's shoulders, pressing her to his side, and she rested her head on top of his. They walked away, Enna and Flames bringing up the rear and glaring daggers over their shoulders.

“Ally, wait!”

Enna whirled around, her patience with this damn family at an end, and crossed her arms over her chest as Leolo came to an unsteady stop in front of her. “What do you want, kid?” she asked, barely refraining from swearing.

Lesser children would have run away but Leolo seemed determined. “I want her to listen to me!”

She bit back the urge to say that what he wanted had nothing to do with them or with Ally, but conceded again to the fact that this was still not her fight. The Wolftails had never been her family. Ally had to decide what to do.

“Okay,” Ally said. Enna hadn’t noticed her approach. “What is it, Leo?”

“I still want you to be my sister,” he said stubbornly, sounding seconds away from crying. “I want to be your brother. I never met you until now.”

Tears welled up in Ally’s eyes and trickled down her cheeks unbidden. Seeing that she was in no shape to deal with this—and because Bill and Janet were busy comforting Ally—Enna stepped up to the plate. “She's not really ready to answer that question right now, kid,” she said. “I suggest you go on home.”

Leolo frowned. “But—”

“If you care about Ally and want her to be your sister, then you ought to wait until she's in a good place to answer you,” she said, trying to emulate Jezarah’s no-nonsense tough love approach. That was the only way she knew how to work with kids. “That would be the brotherly thing to do.”

His face fell, but he nodded resolutely. “Okay,” he said softly, and with one last look at Ally he turned around and jogged the rest of the way home.

Family was not as easy as it was cracked up to be.

* * *

That night, Ally couldn't sleep.

She kept tossing and turning in her makeshift cot, unable to nod off. She'd forced herself to stop crying once Titus and Beta Eyle had come to the cave to find them and had steadfastly ignored all of their questions until they left her alone. Dinner had been quiet as well, Rynn and Joseph supplying the majority of the conversation. According to Beta Eyle, Enna still had a couple days left before she recovered completely and as such they'd have to stay in this den of bad memories a while longer.

Enna had stood up for her twice in two days. No one had ever stood up for her like that before, and Ally was unsure of what to make of it all. The two of them were slowly navigating the pitfalls of sisterhood but somehow Ally had never considered that Enna would defend her in front of her childhood bully and adopted family.

“Enna?” she whispered, turning over onto her side. Enna’s cot was right next to her but the only light in the cave came from a dimly lit fire and she couldn't tell if the girl was awake. “You awake?”

A brief pause, then, “Yes.”

“Are…” She struggled to come up with a question to keep the two of them talking. “Are you okay?”

Enna might have shrugged. It was hard to tell. “Pain’s not too bad.”

“That's not what I meant.” Ally pressed her lips together. “I…I realized I never asked you about how you felt about meeting the Wolftails.” What kind of a sister was she? However bad it had been for her, it must have been a special kind of awful for Enna to meet the family that had written her off and never mentioned her again.

“It was…strange,” Enna admitted. She propped herself up on her elbows and released a barely audible wince. “But I don't care what they say.”

Ally frowned. “Why?”

“I try to only care about things said by people I care about,” her sister answered. “They might be your family but they aren't mine.”

She mulled that over for a while. “Still,” she persisted. “Kaylia shouldn't have said that—that you came from murderers. That wasn't fair of her. She doesn't know you.”

Enna snorted. “I _was_ raised by murderers,” she said dryly. “I am one. That's the whole thing about being an assassin.”

“Murderers want to kill people. You were forced to. It was your job.” If there was anything she'd learned about Enna in the time they'd known each other, it was that Enna really didn't like to kill people. Her story of killing her bird to earn her Kelva was proof of that.

“I’ll spend the rest of my life trying to atone for it either way,” Enna said quietly.

That was new. “Are you religious?”

“Yes. Most of the Knights of Malus are. No atheists in foxholes, you know. May as well pray if your life is at stake all the time.” Enna sighed. “You've never killed anyone, have you?”

Ally thought of the Knights at the Tygani River, the guards in Serkdan and Cavea, and said, “Not intentionally.”

“The ‘intentionally’ bit is what changes you.” The silence dragged on so long that time that Ally thought Enna had fallen asleep, but then she spoke up again. “You want to forgive that family, don't you.”

“I don't know,” she admitted. “I mean, they lied to me about who I was and about you and Bill and my parents and—and yet there's a part of me that still wants to forgive them. Is that—do you think that's bad?”

“No, I don’t,” Enna said, sounding uncomfortable. “It makes sense that you'd want to forgive them.” She hesitated. “And it did seem like they were doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. But it's your decision whether you should forgive them or not.”

She breathed out, the events of the last twenty-four hours flashing before her eyes in full color. “You know,” she said, “until today I was never really mad at Artricia and Larsen. I was mostly mad because I thought I was broken, because my powers weren't working. When I found out my parents had died for what I was, and I couldn't even be who I was supposed to be properly. And being mad is easier than just about anything.”

“So are you more mad about the fact that you couldn't shapeshift for years because of them or the fact that they lied to you about Bill and me?”

Ally bit her lip, unsure of what to say. “I already stopped blaming them for my powers not working once I learned how to shapeshift again. That part was all mental; it's not like they actively caused it. I just blamed them because it was the easiest thing to do.” Enna made a noise of agreement and Ally continued. “I think I’m more mad that they had every opportunity to tell me about you and Bill but didn't do it.”

“The woman said something about not wanting to tell you about me because of possible survivor’s guilt,” Enna said after a moment’s pause. “Would you have really blamed yourself if you'd heard that I died and you lived?”

And Ally was transported to a world in which that were true. She imagined being told from the beginning that she had once had a twin sister that had died at Glothic’s hand. She imagined word getting out and Nasher and his cronies using that information to bully her. She imagined sleepless nights and existential crises piled onto the ones she had already had regarding her parents. Would she have been able to ever transform if she knew from the start? Or would her survivor’s guilt have been too much to bear?

“Probably,” she ended up saying.

Enna lay back down, apparently too exhausted to keep herself propped up any longer. “Then maybe what they did was for the best.”

Ally felt something in her gut loosening, felt herself become freer. And yet… “Don’t get me wrong,” she insisted. “I’m still mad at them for writing you off.”

There was a tired chuckle in the dark. “Leave the being mad about that to me.”

* * *

Even though Enna had volunteered to go with Ally and talk to the Wolftails again the following morning, part of her had secretly hoped for Ally to refuse and go on her own. It was one thing to talk to family, but talking to people that had actively chosen not to talk about her and still considered themselves her family solely because of her relation to Ally was an entirely different story. But she’d gone anyway, and although she would never admit it, it was because she didn’t want Ally to have to do it alone.

Leolo’s shriek of joy upon opening the door and seeing them could have caused the birds to fly off the tops of the trees. “You’re back! I knew you’d come back!” He flew at Ally and hugged her tight around the middle, causing Ally to stumble back a little. Peering up at her, he said excitedly, “Does this mean you’re going to be my sister now?”

Ally was spared from answering by Artricia and Larsen coming to the door, both of them looking like they were trying and failing to contain their excitement. “Ally.” Artricia’s voice shone with cautious hope. “And...Enna.” Her eyes moved between the two of them like she was trying to memorize every detail of their faces. “Please come in.”

They made their way into a living room, Ally sitting down in one of the armchairs while Enna perched on the armrest, hand resting casually near her sword. She wasn’t about to let her guard down.

“Not that we aren’t happy to see both of you again,” Larsen finally said once they’d all gotten comfortable and Leolo had reluctantly left them alone, “but I assume you aren’t here to exchange pleasantries.”

“No.” Ally took a deep breath. “I know that you two hid things from me for a reason. It may not have been a good reason but I understand now that you were doing it because you had my best interests at heart.” Enna didn’t outwardly react, just listened. She knew where Ally was going with this and wanted to wait it out. “But you’re going to have to make it up to me. To us. I get if there’s some things that you don’t know, but...I want to know why we were separated. We both do.”

Larsen looked at Artricia, who inhaled quietly and clasped her hands together before giving him a small nod. “In the months before your parents were killed,” he began, “things...well, for lack of a better word, they went very wrong. Harrow Cheswick—the previous Infran of Time—knew that the two of you were Infrans. Worse, he knew that Glothic—though he was known by a different name back then—”

“Alexander,” Ally said, and Enna flinched so badly that she knocked her elbow against the armrest of the chair.

“How do you know that?” Though birth names had been kept secret in the Knights of Malus, Glothic’s birth name was even more so. There had even been rumors that Glothic had earned his Kelva at birth for being so ruthless and fearsome, and the fact that Ally knew his birth name—and could even say it casually—had Enna floored.  

“Yes,” said Larsen slowly. “How did you know?”

Ally rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Nyasha Diacode told me,” she admitted. “Well, her memories did.” To Enna, she said, “I would have told you but there was never time.”

Enna nodded as if to say all was forgiven, though she still felt a little shaky. _I wish Jezarah was still alive,_ she thought for the umpteenth time. _She would have shit bricks over this._

Articia was saying something now, and Enna returned her focus to the conversation again. “Alexander was a very troubled young man at the time.” _That’s probably an understatement._ “He went off the rails and did what no Infran is supposed to do: he killed his own kind.” She looked away from Enna and Ally, apparently very interested in the rug on the floor. “He tracked down Maggie Winsworth, the previous Infran of Death, and tortured her to death for the location of your parents. She never broke.”

Enna’s jaw tightened as she remembered speaking to Maggie’s memory while she’d been unconscious. Vita. Maggie Winsworth must have possessed bravery in spades if she had been able to resist Glothic’s torture for so long.

“But before he did what was and is unforgivable,” Artricia continued, “your parents received a warning from Harrow Cheswick. He told your parents to hide themselves away. That the unrest between Alvoskia and Kilvoskia was growing as he and the other Infrans grew old. He knew and they knew the enemy would use this as an opportunity, so the Order built your parents a little cottage not far from here and surrounded it with protection.”

Larsen took over. “The spirit of the Infran, all the memories of your past lives, your abilities—that all enters you on the first breath you take when you are born and leaves on your last.” None of that was new information but she waited for him to get to the point. “Harrow didn't know if both of you were going to be Infrans, or which ones, but he suspected one would be Nyasha’s reincarnation because she had already fallen ill at the time.” He hesitated. “Glothic came with the Knights of Malus, and sent them to deal with the ring of Order members guarding the property. He went to kill your parents himself. Artricia and I were there to take the two of you away.”

“We were the only ones willing,” Artricia whispered. Her eyes were red. “And your parents trusted us for the task—to raise a human among wolves could be call for exile, if the Alpha is strict enough, and we didn't know which way Alpha Esdel would land. But your parents didn't want you to go to the Order. They didn’t want you to be raised as Infrans. That’s why we never told you. We all wanted to protect you, Ally, but now I see we may have done more harm than good.”

Enna’s gaze went to Ally almost out of reflex. Her sister looked pale and sweaty, almost like she was going to be sick. When Ally spoke, her voice was hoarse. “Why?”

“Glothic scared them. He was an Infran who knew he was one from a very early age, but he didn't have the others to ground him. He let it get to his head. He let it push him over the edge. Harrow could already see it happening. Your parents were terrified you'd end up like him. Life and Death and Blood are closely linked elements, after all.”

Enna was surprised when Artricia finally turned to face her. “Jamie—Enna,” she hastily corrected herself. “I want you to know that...that it was my fault.” Enna didn’t speak. She wanted Artricia to say her piece first. “Larsen took Ally first from the cottage, and I followed a few minutes later to cover him. I was stabbed in the leg by one of Glothic’s knights and couldn’t make it to the cottage. Your parents were already dead and we—” Her voice died. “We assumed that you were too. But that isn’t an excuse for leaving you behind like that. And for that, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

The instinct to sneer and say _good for you_ was so strong that the words were already on the tip of her tongue when Enna bit them back, forcing herself to actually consider Artricia’s words this time. The Wolftails had planned to come back for her. They had _wanted_ to come back for her. And judging by Artricia and Larsen’s twin expressions of grief, they both regretted their actions to this day. If they hadn’t looked sorry, perhaps Enna would have snapped at them like she had the day before. But now…

“It’s not okay,” Enna said. Artricia flinched like she’d been slapped, and Larsen’s shoulders slumped. “But I recognize your efforts, and…” She sighed. “And I accept your apology.”

The tension disappeared as though she’d sliced it in half with her sword. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ally relax, and Artricia and Larsen looked more relieved than anyone she had ever seen.

The conversation continued from there, but Enna sat out and listened for the remainder of it, smiling occasionally at some of the stories and memories that Artricia and Ally and Larsen were sharing. Larsen insisted on escorting Ally and Enna back to Beta Eyle’s, but Ally turned him down. “It’s alright,” she said. “We can go from here.” She turned to Enna. “You ready?”

“Not quite,” Enna said. Her eyes were on Artricia. “Just...give us a moment, will you?”

Ally glanced between them and seemed to understand, leading Larsen out of the room. Enna didn’t rise from the couch until she heard the door close behind Larsen and Ally, and Artricia gave a weak laugh. “Did...” She paused. “Did you want something?”

“Yes.” She took a step closer to Artricia, keeping her hand close to her scabbard. “I want you to know that the only reason I came here today is for Ally. I don’t forgive you for what you did to her, for never mentioning me to her or your children, and I don’t think I ever will.”

“That’s fair of you,” Artricia said, the feigned note of bravery obvious to both of them. But she had acknowledged that her relationship with Enna would never be akin to her relationship with Ally, and she even seemed to accept it. And that was just fine by her.

Enna turned to leave, satisfied now that she had said her piece.

“Wait a moment.” She turned around to see Artricia looking at her with a watery smile, and something about it made her stomach swoop. “I...I didn’t get the chance to say it yesterday, and I know that the circumstances aren't exactly normal, but—I’m glad that you and the Infrans found each other. Larsen and I both are.”

Enna did not smile, but she felt her expression softening. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “Me too.”

A moment of understanding passed between them, and Enna walked out of the room without looking back.

* * *

They had departed from the Forests of Conan early the following morning after Beta Eyle had told them that she’d received word that Noxyn would be returning earlier than planned. As such, they had departed with their supplies replenished and numerous orders for Enna to take it easy just as the sun was beginning to lighten the morning sky. Ally kept a close eye on the others while Flames flew them all back to Queen Gem’s castle. Janet was writing a letter, trying to balance a notebook on her lap in order to keep her penmanship neat. Rynn and Joseph told stories to George and Connor about the adventures they’d had in the Order, though Joseph was holding onto Rynn’s hand like he was terrified she’d fade into mist if he didn’t keep a hold of her forever—something that Rynn did not appear to mind. Bill and Enna were having a conversation, though her sister’s replies were short and she kept fiddling with the piece of Glothic’s sword that they’d strung on her necklace.

They landed in a field in Northern Alvoskia so Flames could rest and the others could eat. The silence while they relaxed was comfortable, and Ally enjoyed the crisp afternoon air and the sun shining on her back. They played Jinx and Never Have I Ever, watching Rynn beat George and Connor twice before losing to Joseph and learning that Enna had never made a flower crown (something that Ally sought to rectify as soon as they got back to the castle).

The sun was already setting below the horizon when Flames landed on the castle’s grounds. Once everyone dismounted, Flames transformed back into a human and just lay on the grass for a while, coughing out the remaining stubborn puffs of smoke from her lungs and looking like she wanted to take a nap for the next two days straight. They were met by members of the Order, Clara Clinton, Queen Gem, and a woman that looked so much like Dearborn that it made Ally’s heart stop in her chest before she realized the woman was _a_ Dearborn, just not her Dearborn. Gyra Dearborn, to be precise. Rynn’s mother.

Rynn embraced her mother, her shoulders shaking with sobs, and her mother held onto her like she was the only thing holding her down to the earth. They spoke with each other quietly, Gyra never taking her eyes off Rynn, before Clara and Joseph approached them. “Miss Dearborn, it’s good to see you again,” she said. Beneath her stoic expression was a visible aura of relief. “If you could both follow Lieutenant Dreary and myself inside, we need to collect Rynn’s statement.”

Gyra straightened up, holding her chin high. “Of course,” she said. She spoke much quieter than Dearborn ever had. “Rynn, are you ready?”

Rynn nodded, and the four of them went inside. Ally and the others (after rousing Flames from where she had fallen asleep on the grass) followed Queen Gem inside as well, though they headed to the queen’s quarters instead of following Rynn and Clara Clinton. Queen Gem sat down at the head of the table, the Infrans taking the remaining seats, and Ally couldn’t help but marvel at how much had changed since the last time they’d been in this room. She’d reconciled with the Wolftails, nearly lost Enna, and had helped rescue Rynn from prison. They were all still alive, which had seemed like an impossibility when the queen had announced their mission.

“Infrans,” Queen Gem said once they had all settled in, “Joseph sent me a preliminary report when you were recuperating in Conan, and I would like to personally congratulate you all on a mission well done. I’m pleased to see you all back here alive and well.” The twinkle in her eyes faded, and Ally’s heartbeat quickened. “Though I’m afraid that congratulations are not all I have to offer you.”

Janet was the first to speak. “What is it, Your Majesty?”

In response, Queen Gem pulled out a small envelope, but Ally didn’t have to ask what it was—she recognized it by the wax seal, blood red like the last one. “The Order received a letter from Krios Karavan,” she said. “A more formal declaration of war, as it were. For staging a breakout and grievously injuring his head general, he says he will not hesitate in waging battle now.”

Ally exchanged a glance with Enna, both of them thinking the same thing: Glothic was injured, but he was still alive. And that meant that they would all have to continue fighting until they finally managed to take him down. Once she would have been terrified of the prospect, but now she just felt a sort of grim resolve hardening her. “We knew going into this that this would happen,” she said, surprised at the ferocity in her voice. “We struck first. Now we have to prepare ourselves for when the Kilvoskians strike back.”

“Well said, Ally,” Queen Gem said, and the others nodded. Even Enna shot her a quick smile. “I have already made plans to form alliances with the Elves and the Giants as well as the Wolf Children. If we go forward, we will need every possible ally by our side.”

“Will that be our next mission?” At the queen’s nod, Connor cleared his throat and said rather hesitantly, “We don’t have to leave now, do we?”

“No,” Queen Gem said, laughing softly. Everyone around the table relaxed. “After all you’ve been through, it would be foolish of me to suggest anything other than resting. I do believe you’ve earned that much.”

The conversation didn’t stretch on much longer, but Ally was surprised when Queen Gem asked her to stay behind after the others left. Once Enna and the others were out of earshot, Ally ran a hand through her hair awkwardly. “Uh...what’s up?” She fought the urge to facepalm for sounding like an absolute idiot and quickly added, “Your Majesty?”

Queen Gem’s lips twitched for a moment as though she were about to smile, but she kept her expression carefully calm. “As I said earlier, Joseph sent me a report when you were recuperating in Conan,” she said. “He said that you had run into the Wolftails again.”

“I did.”

“How did they treat Enna?”

Ally bit her lip. “They...didn’t know how to treat her. I mean, they don’t really know her.” _Neither do I. I may know bits and pieces about her past, but she’s kept most of herself under lock and key._ “She and the Wolftails fought about me. She said that...that I shouldn’t have been kept in the dark. And I agreed with her, but the Wolftails and Enna and I ended up making peace with each other.”

“I regret that I also played a part in keeping you in the dark.” Queen Gem’s voice was quiet. Ally turned to face her. “I’m sorry, Ally. I have no excuse for not telling you the truth other than what you must have already heard in spades by now, which is that I was trying to keep your best interests at heart.”

Ally looked down at her shoes, fighting to keep her emotions under wraps. A very Enna-like question floated to the surface. “Would you have ever told me about Enna if she hadn’t been sent to kill us?”

“I like to think that I would have, someday,” Queen Gem admitted after a moment’s hesitation. “After the war, if not sometime during. When you would be in a better place to handle the news.” Ally nodded, having expected nothing less. “But I sense that pondering hypotheticals will not soothe you now that the truth is out.”

“Honestly, I’m…” Her laugh was breathy but genuine. “I’m just glad to have a sister.” She paused. “But thanks. For the apology, I mean. It means a lot to me.”

Queen Gem nodded. The twinkle in her eyes was back, and whatever tension had been between them faded into the air. “Anytime.”

* * *

The walk to Clara Clinton’s quarters the next morning was awkward, but Enna supposed that was mainly because of the people that had been sent to accompany her. The last time she’d seen Joss, Inara, and Therese, Aquil and Hui had been interrogating her about being a Kilvoskian spy after she’d nearly killed Connor. They hadn’t been friends, but she’d appreciated that they’d been the first ones in Alvoskia to be kind to her.

“So,” she finally said. “Have you recovered in full from that fight?”

Joss turned to look at her, but the confusion in his eyes faded once he realized what she meant. “Oh. Yes. I’m fine. We all are.” _Great conversation starter, Enna. Way to go._ “Did you—did they hurt you? When you were locked up?”

Enna thought back to the days she’d spent in a cell. They hadn’t done anything more than insult her but she remembered how she couldn’t shower, how she barely slept, how she’d had to resort to biting her fingernails for sustenance. “No more than I deserved.”

Therese was next to speak up. “You could have killed us at any time,” she said quietly. “Why didn’t you?”

 _Because you were nice to me and I was feeling nervous enough about my mission that I didn’t want to kill anyone that I didn’t have to._ “It wasn’t my job.”

“Did you want to kill the Infrans?” Inara asked. “I mean, I know it was your job, but didn’t you feel guilty? At all?”

“I don’t know,” Enna admitted. “Though I imagine I would have felt guilty afterwards.” She remembered imagining how the Kilvoskians would call her a martyr and put up a statue of her in Serkdan, how she would be remembered as the Infran who killed her own. Once she had felt pride at knowing that she would be remembered. Now she was disgusted with herself. “I have a feeling that guilt goes hand in hand with being the Infran of Death.”

The three of them didn’t flinch. Enna took note of that. _Everyone in the castle probably knows my secret by now. There’s no way that Joseph didn’t put it in the report that he sent to the queen._ “Y’know,” Joss said, “I don’t know how we didn’t realize that there was something up about you. Not that you were an assassin, I mean. You hid that just as well as anyone else would. But we were all fooled by a change in expression, green eyes, a ponytail, and a different accent. I guess that says a lot about us.”

Inara laughed, and even Enna smiled. “I did have an Order ID,” she replied. “Maybe you just saw what you wanted to believe.”

“Maybe so.” There wasn’t that much of a height difference between them, but Joss had to look down to meet her eyes all the same. “And you aren’t planning on defecting, right?”

Enna’s fingers flew to the scar on her throat out of reflex, but she lowered her hand after a moment. “No. I think the time for that has passed.” Unlike before, she had nothing to run away to. Everyone that she cared about was here.

“Then I don’t see why we can’t be friends,” Joss said. The four of them stopped outside the door of Clara Clinton’s office. “Plus I won’t lie that I’m interested in learning a bit of your skills with a sword.”

“‘Specially since you took Reese down several notches,” Inara added. Enna snorted at the memory of fighting that sanctimonious prick in the mud and the rain and still coming out on top. Inara stuck out her hand. “Let’s start over. I’m Inara Iluaq.”

“Joss Mayer.”

“Therese Viera.”

Enna shook all of their hands in turn. She’d never cease to be surprised at the trusting nature of Alvoskians, but, much like it had been with the Infrans, maybe it wasn’t such a bad thing after all. “Enna Hatten,” she said. “It’s good to meet you.”

After Joss, Inara, and Therese left to go stand guard on the other end of the hallway, Enna walked into Clara Clinton’s office. It was neat and clean, she noted. Just like its owner. The only splashes of color in the room came from the purple cloak hanging from the coat stand by the door and an abstract painting on the wall.

Clara sat up straight behind her desk, hands folded in front of her. “Sit down,” she said. Enna pulled up a chair and sat down. “How is your recovery going?”

If this was the reason that she had been forced to walk up three flights of stairs in an unimaginably uncomfortable silence, Enna would not be held responsible for her actions. “Fine,” she said. It was true; she hadn’t overexerted herself since returning and was getting enough rest at night. Beta Eyle had given her permission to begin training again after the two week mark, and she was counting down the minutes. Her reflexes were getting shoddy. “Is that all?”

“No,” Clara said. “Though it is a start.” She leaned forward in her chair. “When you were locked up during your first week in the castle, Queen Gem and I were in talks with other members of the Order to discuss what charges would be set against you. Attempted murder, impersonation of an Order member, conspiracy against the crown — you get the picture, I’m sure.”

“I do.” She refused to break eye contact. “Am I being put on trial?”

“You were _going_ to be put on trial,” Clara corrected. Enna frowned. “Though after your deeds on the mission to rescue Rynn Dearborn came to light, all members of the Order that were present in the previous meeting elected to drop the charges against you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “It’s not a decision born of pity, is it?”

“I would have voted it down had it been,” was the prompt reply. “Though you may disagree, your rescue of Rynn, Joseph and the Infrans, your defection from Kilvoskia, and your duel against Glothic Geisa has made everyone believe that you are on the road to redemption.”

“And you? What do you believe?”

Clara Clinton’s expression was inscrutable. “I believe that you aren’t the same person who snuck into this castle with the intention to kill the Infrans,” she said calmly. “Am I wrong?”

“No,” Enna said after a moment’s pause. “But I don’t believe that I’ve redeemed myself for all I’ve done.” She would atone for the rest of her life for the people she’d killed and injured in the Academy. For Bran. For trying to kill the Infrans. Her ledger was filled with names written in red, and it would take her years to wipe it out.

“We didn’t say that you had.” Clara leaned back in her chair. “You are not without fault, Enna Hatten. But your conscience is not so sullied by sin that you are not worthy of redemption. And that is where the road you are on will lead you.”

It was a fair statement. Still fairer than she believed she deserved, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. “So then what?” she said once she had sorted out her thoughts. “Amnesty?”

“Of sorts.” Clara Clinton looked as though she was trying not to smile, and Enna thought that it made her seem more human. Nothing like the monster she had dreamt up that had ordered the death of her parents. “Instead of you being imprisoned, I was thinking...community service. Maybe helping the Infrans in their training. And going on missions with them.”

A very Ally-like grin tugged at the corners of her lips. “Will I get to train too?”

“I don’t see why not. You are the Infran of Death, after all.” Clara’s expression softened. “So—for lack of a better phrasing, can we count you as part of our side?”

Enna breathed out, thinking of Ally and the Infrans, of Joseph and Rynn, of Joss and Inara and Therese. Kilvoskia might have been her home once, but all that she had left of it now were memories and burned bridges. She would always miss Jezarah, but she was ready to fight against what she’d always believed in. Ready to join the side of her new friends. “Yes,” she said. “You can.”

And as she shook Clara Clinton’s hand, she felt rather than saw the warmth of her mentor’s smile. _I might be an Alvoskian now, Jezarah, but I swear that I’ll avenge you someday. And I’ll make you proud._

* * *

Enna could feel the change in the room before it happened.

She propped herself up on her elbows, her dagger clutched loosely in one hand, and blinked blearily at the shadowy figure in the room. Not an intruder as the stance was all wrong. The lack of footsteps and loud voices meant that it was too early for George and Bill to wake everyone up for breakfast, and she definitely hadn’t overslept and missed her training session with Joss and Inara and Therese, so what was going on? “What’s going on?”

The person startled, the light from the hallway briefly glancing off messy blonde hair—Ally. “Nothing’s wrong,” her sister said, not even sounding surprised that Enna had woken up. “I wanted to show you something.”

Enna stared at her. “It’s five o’clock in the morning,” she deadpanned. She normally wouldn’t protest getting up in the morning—years of sporadically-timed training sessions had taught her otherwise—but they’d all gone to bed late last night after staying up and playing Jinx with Rynn and Joseph in the dining room until George had fallen asleep at the table. Why couldn’t Ally wait until later?

She shrugged, and Enna’s eyes had adjusted well enough to see that she hadn’t even changed out of her pajamas. Whatever it was, it had to be important. “I didn’t feel like waiting any longer,” she said. “C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

What sounded like fun at the moment was staying in bed and getting another few hours of sleep, but Enna sighed, knowing that she might as well go and see what the fuss was about. “Alright,” she acquiesced. “Let’s go.”

Five minutes later, the two of them snuck downstairs and out of the castle, making their way through the castle grounds. It was chilly out; the tips of the grass were frosty with morning dew and crunched beneath her slippers. She’d taken her sword with her just in case of emergency, but it was becoming clear that wherever they were going she wouldn’t need one.

They stopped in a garden. It was small, not nearly as exuberant as some of the other ones she’d seen, but it was nice nonetheless. Daisies, roses, dahlias, and several other types of flowers were sprouting in little enclosed spaces, and a few seemed to be growing and blossoming at Ally’s feet. Was that another hidden power of the Infran of Life?

“I started coming here when we moved into the castle,” Ally suddenly said. Enna looked over at her. She had picked up a dandelion and was examining it closely, not meeting Enna’s eyes. “Whenever I wanted to practice shapeshifting, or if I needed some time away from everyone else and just wanted to watch the flowers grow.”

She frowned. “Why did you bring me here if you like coming here alone?”

Ally rubbed the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly. “You said you’ve never made a flower crown before and I wanted to teach you how. To do something together as sisters.”

“Oh.” She bit her lip, unsure of what to say. The offer was sweet. And come to think of it, they hadn’t really had the chance to bond as sisters in a non-mission situation since the blanket fort from ages ago, and that hadn’t really counted. “Okay.” She nodded decisively. “Let’s do it.”

“Great!” Ally clasped her hands together and beamed. “Alright, come with me. The first thing you do is find flowers with thin and flexible stems…”

Once their flowers had been gathered, Enna sat beside Ally and braided the stems of the dandelions she’d gathered together, trying her hardest to keep them from wilting. It was a companionable silence, one broken by the occasional sniff and instruction, and Enna found herself relaxing. Not too much, but enough.

Sometimes she still thought that this was all a dream, that any moment she’d wake up in Kilvoskia with only Jezarah for company, unaware that she had any family. In the span of a month, she’d defected from the only home she’d ever known, found her twin sister, lost her first friend, fought against the Infran of Blood, nearly died, socialized with the Wolf Children, and finally accepted her heritage as the Infran of Death.

Kilvoskia and Alvoskia were at war, but she knew that no matter what it would bring, she could handle it. She didn’t know if they would all come out unscathed, but they’d give it one hell of a fight. That was for certain.

Ally nudged her shoulder and pointed upwards, abandoning her flower crown. Two songbirds were flying across the pinkening sky, looping through the wispy clouds and chirping happily to each other. Enna smiled at the sight.

She kept her chin up. The sun was rising.


End file.
